Shades of Sangheili
by Maridia
Summary: Unrelated to similarly named novel, only running similar themes. A group of human women begin to realize the seduction to be found in the body of the Sangheili warrior. One casual afternoon is the start of an obsession that will rule bodies and minds alike. Mature content. Kinky stuff ahead. Eventual non-con elements. (Edited 4/15/18)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **(Edited: 4/15/18)**

The events that would change humanity and the sangheili's relationship for better or for worse, started one afternoon during lunch on the UNSC ship Imperium. Soldiers were eating with other staff members and there was a mixing of races, specifically of human kind and that of the sangheili.

The sangheili were very different compared to the humans. Standing and sitting, they towered over their human companions, had two distinct sets of mandibles, and powerful digitigrade legs. They could jump cliffs, over chasms, and kick opponents hard enough to break bone. Sangheili were tall, but also strong. Far stronger than even the best of humanity, save the strength of the mysterious Spartan class.

Overall, everyone, and certainly those who have seen them in action, are glad to have a reasonably sized force of sangheili serving on Imperium, on humanity's side. After so much strife and war with more than one alien race, it's a comfortable situation when you finally can make allies of those who were once, and in some cases are still known as, 'elites.'

All of these sangheili soldiers have strong sweeping legs, two large sturdy splayed toes, and generous muscles in the shoulders and at the torso. They look just as sleekly dangerous outside of their regal looking armor, and their musculature is obvious, even from a distance.

This was the one trait that medic, petty officer Sheila Cast noticed more. As did all the other women at her table. Currently they were staring two tables away from their own as a human man openly challenged a sangheili to an arm wrestling competition.

Either the man was just being friendly, was really overconfident about his own strengths, or just wanted to see more of the sangheili alien, because instead of just pulling up his sleeves, he threw off his whole shirt. It was completely unnecessary, but it was done. Two women in the group shared smiles. Sheila just held back the urge to roll her eyes. Just another guy trying to look macho. That was nothing new.

Then the sangheili followed his lead, which no one honestly expected, and Sheila started looking a bit harder at the scene. Her female companions were doing the same.

The woman sitting closest to Sheila sat up straighter in her seat. "Oh, wow." Private Nancy Dodger said. "That's…a lot." She wasn't the only one looking stunned. The other women were staring too, it was hard not to stare.

"How many abs does he have?" Emilee Stewart, a lieutenant whispered loudly to no one in particular, leaning up in her seat to get a better look. She wasn't the only one, the whole cafeteria's population seemed intent on watching the action. "What the actual fuck. That guy is huge…"

The sangheili in the spotlight grunted as he stood up, his shoulder muscles rippling fluid under dark brown, almost black skin. As he stood up his long neck rolled into his shoulders and there was a satisfying popping sound as he flexed, his long fingers sending lines dancing across his muscular arms. He definitely had more abdominal muscles than a human. They were many sets, and as he stretched they twitched to life, and the movement swam across his torso like wind on water.

"I've never seen any man with that much muscle." Nancy mumbled into her sandwich, blue eyes staring wide eyed at the alien.

"That's not a man." Nina Scott made a show of wrinkling her nose, the usual prissy, obstinate private with a knack for sleeping around the ship. She put on a disgusted face, but Sheila wasn't buying it. Nina was just…Nina. She would say something and then contradict herself later, or just decide to care about something, or someone, and then act as if it never happened the next day. There was also this aura of trouble that Nina incited in others. Sneaking around to meet with her casual boyfriends had almost gotten them all in trouble several times. Sheila only really put up with her drama because she promised Nina's brother, Nathan, that she'd keep an eye on her for him.

Sheila stared back at the scene taking place, feeling something like excitement run through her. This was the first time she had seen a sangheili without a covering on, skin bared from head to hip, and she found it all fascinating. He _was_ fascinating…and certainly well developed. There were whistles and cries of disbelief as the sangheili male leaned over the table, his long arm up and ready, muscles already bulging in preparation.

"I do believe he's going to be missing an arm." Emilee laughed. Sheila was a bit nervous about that, the sangheili tended to get a bit carried away sometimes. She recalled the incident in the bathroom last week and shivered. Apparently because women didn't serve very often on sangheili war ships, they hadn't realized there were gender separate bathrooms.

She smiled when she remembered walking in on the alien. He had turned the faucet on over the sink too roughly and it had burst and flooded the bathroom. He had been struggling and cursing with the knob still in his hand when she had walked in, struck dumb by the sight. She had quickly called in a janitor, though the sangheili kept insisting he fix the problem himself and the two had argued over the tools.

Currently the human man, Private Theodore Brown, was staring in awe at the arm in front of him. They could see him swallow a knot from where they were sitting, an uneasy smile on his face, "Just remember big guy, I'm smaller than you are."

The sangheili snorted at that, leaning forward to scrutinize him with shiny dark eyes, "Why have you challenged me then if you were expecting to lose? You are fickle creatures."

"Hey, hey." The man frowned, putting his arm back on the table, hand open and ready, "Don't have to insult me."

"Let us begin then." The sangheili seemed to smirk, his mandibles tucking in on the top, and the bottom flared expectantly.

Begin quickly became the end as the man made a sound like a screech as the sangheili drove his arm down onto the table with a thud and a crack was heard across the room, "Mother fucker!" The man screamed as he pulled his limp limb to his chest with his other arm, "You broke my arm!"

Sheila stared in horror at the white bone that had pierced through the side of the man's arm and at the blossoming red stain rapidly flowing out to stain his white skin, "Oh shit."

Nancy had made a horrified sound, both hands clasped across her mouth as Emilee and Nina just stared in shock at the scene before them.

Soon after there was a loud outcry of foul play and it was human versus sangheili as shouts went up. Soon enough Sheila had leapt up from her place at the table followed by her friends, with Nancy timidly making up the tail of their group. Sheila always tried to be the referee between parties, she just felt a sense of responsibility for everyone. Mom once teased that she had motherly traits, and was always trying to take care of people. Wherever it stemmed from, Sheila just couldn't stand by and watch these men beat each other up over what was probably just an accident.

She felt a bit unsure about that notion when she neared the arguing group and saw the sangheili looking very unconcerned about the man who was now leaning over the table, weeping over his broken arm.

"Childish." The sangheili snorted, his brothers gathering at his back and to his sides, an intimidating looking group, more so together. "You were aware of our differences, of my kind's superior strength. You insult me by challenging me and expecting anything less than what I am. You shame my worth as a warrior. I met the challenge you placed before me, and you have no one to blame but yourself for your failure." The alien looked down at the human with something like pity, his head shaking from side to side idly.

No one seemed to appreciate his honesty, and utter lack of responsibility for his actions, and you could feel the tension in the air like static. Sheila jumped a little as a voice shot up from the crowd vehemently, "You fucking bastard."

Another man stood up and placed a hand on the injured man's shoulder, "You didn't have to break his damn arm!"

"I cannot help my own strength." The sangheili argued, and the women paused as the alien stretched out his arms, his abs stretching out across his torso as he leaned backwards, "He would be wise to keep his challenges within his own species. No human is half as strong as a sangheili. Our females could sweep you underfoot."

At this, Sheila was surprised to see the sangheili look towards their group, the only women really left in the cafeteria at this point. The other group had been sitting off by the exit and had quickly fled with some male friends when the fighting had started. She felt a shiver of something…unease maybe?-as the sangheili's eyes scanned over their party. His friends did the same, and suddenly their mandibles began to flex in their alien dialogue.

They spoke in smooth deep tongues, and Sheila wasn't sure what they were talking about, the only thing she was sure of was their gaze. Every sangheili in the group was eyeing them with interest, and she could hear Emilee swallow hard next to her at the realization.

The sangheili male stepped up to them suddenly, and Nina squeaked something in response, stumbling to hide behind the taller form of Emilee who was frozen with apprehension, "Females." His tone rumbles in a way that is very inhuman, as if it there is a thrumming underneath his words. He speaks with a rich baritone, "Are you impressed by my form?" He flexed his neck muscles as he leaned forward, the lights above catching on a pebbling of skin.

They were more than a little stunned by his bluntness, and no one could speak to answer. Sheila was at the front of the group and more directly placed in front of him, but she quickly stammered something incomprehensible and shuffled backwards into Emilee who didn't say anything in response, merely stepping back and to the left looking ready to turn tail and run.

The male made a sound like an actual purr and stepped forward gracefully, one great leg parting the group as he strode forward. He leaned over Sheila's much shorter form and looked down at her with smoldering brown eyes. She felt trapped in his gaze, in his shadow. She felt a strange stirring inside. Fear maybe, or something else? She tried to swallow in the dryness of her throat her heart beating steadily faster in her chest as their eyes met again.

"You are intimidated by me?" The sangheili laughed with a deep rumbling sound in his chest, mandibles flexing, she could feel a small wind, as if he was breathing them in, "Don't worry little females, I won't hurt you." Sheila couldn't hold back a short breathy gasp as his hand suddenly crept down her cheek to roll long leathery fingers down her neck. "You're soft, such a delicate creature."

She was trapped in his gaze, and voices erupted in both anger and alarm behind her, though they were lost in a fog at the back of her mind. Sheila couldn't look away from the alien, she seemed stuck in the dark mire of his eyes. She felt a blush come over her cheeks as she dropped his gaze only to have her eyes scale down the entirely of his intensely masculine form. Sheila snapped out of her daze when her gaze began to linger dangerously past the sangheili's hips.

Her heart was a pounding stream in her ears, and her cheeks felt hot and flushed. Feverish. She felt sweat cling to her fingers as she tucked them to her chest, and sought to look away from him. Unbidden to her own will, her head turned back up to the sangheili's face by his hand catching her gently by the chin. She couldn't speak, couldn't look away. He said something in that darkly alien voice that made her shiver before she suddenly found herself being pulled back from him.

It was Nina, who had mustered up the courage to grab her by the arm, an uncharacteristically friendly notion.

"What the fuck is going on in here soldiers? Can you lack wits enjoy a meal together without acting like ornery temperamental teenagers?" An angry commanding voice erupts over the arguing that had started up again.

Commander Chelsea Beretta pushed through the crowds and they parted for her like the red sea, voices falling into silence as the imposing woman made her way over to them. Commander Beretta was tall and very muscular for a woman, with thick shoulders and a lithe figure, and the brightest palest blue eyes anyone had ever seen. Her red hair was cropped on her head, a flash of scarlet against a cryo complexion. The scar across her lip made her frown an almost menacing sight as she regarded the group, "Somebody better get to explain this shit before I have you all scrubbing the lavatories until dawn. I don't want to hear any whining, give it to me straight." She crossed her arms over the gray of her uniform and gazed around at the crowd.

A human man spoke up, his voice almost a shout, the same one who cursed at the sangheili earlier, "That split lip bastard was manhandling a woman and he broke Theo's arm."

Sheila blinked in surprise at the unexpected accusation and swallowed hard as heads suddenly seemed to turn in her direction, "I-."

Beretta towered over her suddenly, the woman dominating her in height by a full two feet. Wide green eyes met Icey blue as the woman regarded her with narrowed eyes, "Did this sangheili threaten you without _any_ provocation on your side Ms. Cast?

Sheila hated being put on the spot and felt as if she was the one being punished. The sangheili male behind Beretta did not speak, just merely looked at her with something akin to amusement in his expression. Sheila quickly looked down at her feet feeling guilty for reasons that escaped her, "No Commander. He did break a man's arm, but he challenged him to a contest."

Beretta looked surprised, then laughed heartily. She turned to look towards the injured man who was trying to wipe the moisture from his eyes quickly with his free hand. It wasn't working well, "It's a good thing you didn't challenge him to a genius contest private, or you would have lost. I have no sympathy for you." The man seemed to wilt under her gaze as she glared his way, "What the hell are you sitting around for? Get your ass down to the med bay." She turned to look at Sheila who couldn't help inhaling sharply at the sudden movement her way, "You're the only medic here, so show him down Ms. Cast."

As Sheila helped the quiet man with his arm as they walked away she could hear the commander bark out another laugh, "I get it! Cast! She'll fix you up real good private, you're in good hands. The rest of you can finish eating, and if anyone has a problem with someone else then their nose can make friends with a corner in my office, am I understood!?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Beretta turned to leave, and her gaze locked onto the sangheili at the front of the group. They did not speak, but merely bowed their heads in acknowledgment of her rank, and allowed her to pass. She gave them a long knowing look before parting their group.

The head sangheili looked towards the exit, but his eyes did not follow the commander but lingered instead on the female with the yellow bob of hair hanging from her neck.

00oo00oo00oo00

Later that night Sheila finished brushing her teeth and slid into the bottom bunk under her top bunkmate Emilee. The other girl was currently combing out her curly brown locks, cursing every so often when she ran the comb over a snarl, "Sheila you're so lucky your hair isn't shit. This ship is so dry I have to use artificial tears. My hair frizzes up like we're in the tropics."

Sheila laughed, "You might have allergies. I'm pretty sure Nina has a bunch of plants somewhere."

Sheila watched the mattress above her bunch up in the middle as Emilee curled up in a fetal position on it, the brush flying over the rail above to land on the thin carpet, "That would explain a lot." She heard the other woman yawn, "Sheila, I'm going to hit the hay, I'm exhausted. I still can't believe what happened today. What idiot challenges an alien that size to an arm wrestling contest?"

"He's always been a bit immature." Sheila replied, yawning, arms outstretched across the pillow on her belly, "Did you see how ripped he was?"

She could hear the awe in Emilee's voice, "I've never seen that many muscles on anything before. He was _tight_."

There came afterwards a thoughtful silence. Emilee broke it a long minute later.

"Sheila?"

"Yeah?"

"Were you scared?"

Sheila sat up a bit on the mattress, pushing her head up on her pillow, "What?" She was confused.

"When he grabbed you? The alien?" Emilee elaborated.

Sheila grew quiet, her forehead furrowed. She hadn't thought about it until now. All she had been thinking about was how hard she had to scrub her uniform to get Theodore's blood stains out of it. That sangheili had done a number on that arm, "He didn't grab me."

He hadn't grabbed her, but he had touched her. Touched her in a way that had startled her greatly and still made her question her inaction. She had made no attempt to separate herself from the sangheili, instead she had stood still as his fingers had drew careful lines down her cheek to the dip under her chin, to roll down the slope of her neck. Sheila told herself it had been shock, but now she felt confused again as she thought back to earlier that afternoon.

"He touched you, everyone saw him." Emilee said, "He looked like…"

Sheila frowned at her friend's silence, "Like what?"  
"Like…he was going to devour you."

"Thanks, now I'm going to have nightmares." Sheila couldn't help the burst of laughter that cut free, and Emilee snorted and joined in a moment later. The two women continued laughing, though they weren't sure why, maybe it was because they were tired from running drills earlier. They finally calmed themselves a minute later and then heard a knock at the door. They shared a glance before moving to answer it.

They weren't usually surprised to receive a visit from Nancy, she would visit time to time and they had gotten used to her presence after hours. The girls would talk mostly, about nothing too important, just idle chatter. This time however, Nancy didn't seem like herself. The usual chipper woman with a positive demeanor was not greeting them or telling a random joke or bit of gossip she had heard lately, she just merely stood there. Quiet. Her dark blue eyes seemed to have trouble focusing on their faces, and she looked through or around them. Fingers nervously played with the silver rosette of her necklace.

"What's up with you?" Emilee asked before Sheila had a chance.

"What?" Nancy looked confused, her pale face suddenly cast in a rosy tint, "I-I'm fine. I just wanted to stop by and see how you girls were doing."

Sheila frowned, trying to find answers in the woman's demeanor. She couldn't see any signs of illness. Her clothes were tidy, whole. No sense of drama. She just seemed distracted, maybe a little anxious?

"We're fine. I'm going to bed. Monthlies always wear me down."

"As long as you're not bitching at me, I don't mind the snoring." Sheila joked.

"Shut up Cast."

They looked back to Nancy, who still looked out of place, her fingers sliding up and down on the chain of her pendent, "I guess I'll head to my room. Nina's probably wondering where I went off to."

"Are you sure you're fine?" Sheila crossed her arms, fixing a severe stare at the other girl who seemed to balk a bit, stepping back into the hallway." Sheila was a no nonsense kind of woman went it came to anyone's health. She wanted to be sure everything was okay. The woman didn't look sick, but some people were better at hiding things than others.

"Yes." Nancy spoke the word like a shout, and the woman seemed to notice her volume and inhaled sharply, "Sorry, I should go."

Sheila quickly grabbed onto the other woman's arm, "Wait, Nancy."

Nancy flinched at her touch but smiled at her, "Yes?"

"If you need anything I'll be up."

"Thanks." The woman looked distracted and Sheila frowned at the sudden blush that came over Nancy's cheeks, "Night Sheila."

She watched Nancy walk away until she disappeared around the bend in the corridor and followed Emilee back into their room.

"Oh-kay, something's up with that girl." Emilee said as she climbed back up onto her bunk.

"She doesn't seem sick does she?" Sheila asked, feeling a little concerned, "I mean, she was a bit red."

Emilee yawned as she stretched. She dropped back onto her mattress with a short sigh, "She seemed kind of embarrassed to me. Maybe she met up with some guy and wanted our opinions? She probably just lost her nerve at the last minute. I don't know, I wasn't aware she was that adventurous."

"Fraternization rules are a bit don't ask, don't tell, really." Sheila yawned again. Stressful war times had made a lot of changes in military settings. When aliens wanted to burn your worlds to extinction, then it became clear that some things in life were necessary, or people weren't going to be mentally able to process anything without going mad. Less stress, better soldiers is what it came to.

"That's why we have Nina to tell us all about it." They both laughed at that, because it was true. Nina enjoyed talking about her sexual adventures. It was often too much really.

The legs draped over the top of the bunk disappeared from sight. Sheila could hear Emilee settling onto the mattress above her, "I'm beat, see you in the morning."

"Goodnight."

Sheila spread out onto her mattress listening to the hum of the lights above them as they slowly flickered off. She thought about the sangheili then. The darkness of the room made her think of the sleek dark blue-gray of his skin, and the black of his eyes. He had been quite a menacing figure and she felt a chill dance down her spine at the thought of facing something like him in the war. They had long since became allies since the end of the human-covenant war, but that once upon a time they had been enemy combatants. Genocidal, and absolutely merciless. She had been fortunate to have seen no warring like that. She and her friends were pretty green, and she had just been promoted in her first medical rank last month. The only action she had seen was a wannabe terrorist trying to hold up a financial institution on her shore leave. Luckily the police forces there had no problems forcing him to surrender.

She thought back to the sangheili. She just couldn't shake the feeling, the memory. The way the alien had touched her. It had been exploratory but it also had felt meaningful. As if he was relaying a message in the way his fingers traveled across her skin. It had embarrassingly even affected her in a place she had long forgot about, since a tragic relationship long past. Even now she felt a sort of coiling in a private place that both confused and excited her.

She wanted to smack herself, wanted to thump her head into her pillow over and over to shake away these nonsensical thoughts. Sheila was almost numb with the realization.

There was just something unnaturally _attractive_ about sangheili men. She wasn't sure if it was the muscles, or just the exoticness. Sheila had tried not to think about what had happened in the cafeteria, but here, alone, in the darkness with her thoughts and a gentle snoring up above, she had nothing else to think about.

Sheila twisted in her sheets and released a tired breathy moan into her pillow. She had never once felt an attraction to anything alien before. This had all happened after that sangheili had touched her…had stared into her eyes, had touched her almost possessively. There was something in that contact that she found immensely attractive.

She could die of shame at the thought. She knew how xenophobic her parents were, how most of the human crew were…she wasn't sure there was room for such thoughts, on this ship or on any human planet. Hell, even on Sangheilios this was probably an idea that bordered on treachery. If anyone found out about it on this ship, they would probably hang her by the neck with her own bed sheets.

 _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ Sheila tossed her sheets off her now hot body, brushed a palm over the perspiration dotting her forehead. Now she was probably looking feverish. At this point she might as well had stayed up to read. It wouldn't do to bother Emilee with her issues though. No woman on her period of all things, would appreciate it. Men had no idea how easy it was being…men, when it came to biological influences.

After struggling with trying to sleep, to ignore her panicked thoughts about aliens, the fact that she hadn't had sex in eleven months, and her sudden thirst…she decided it would be best to deal with at least one of those problems.

Sheila slipped on her shoes and left the room to find a water fountain. She didn't bother changing. It was midnight and she doubted anyone would care about her underdressed state, or even see the tank top and her flower print sleeping shorts. She was also too hot to care. She hoped Beretta wasn't around, she always liked to force dress rules on them, even in casual situations. Sheila was also not interested in the idea of pushups this late at night in the state she was in.

The woman started down the corridor and found the fountain at the entrance to one of the woman's lavatories. She bent down, sweeping her mane of frazzled blonde hair over her shoulder as she began to drink. When Sheila stood up however, she froze in place.

She had heard a sound. No voices. The woman realized that they were coming from inside the restroom. Sheila wasn't usually curious about what went on in the lavatory, but there was a male voice in the mix. An unfamiliar voice.

As Sheila neared the door she heard a sound that made her rethink opening it for a good whole minute. She couldn't help but utter a soft curse under her breath. Really? Fucking in the bathroom? Classy. Sheila didn't know the rules on fraternizing on a training ship, but decided she didn't care. She was too curious for her own good. The sounds that were coming from inside the room definitely sounded breathy.

Or someone was having an asthma attack. Fat chance.

Preparing herself for whatever she would find within, the woman swept a strand of hair off her brow and slowly, carefully, opened the lavatory door a crack. She had to bite back a gasp at what she saw.

Nancy…Nancy was sitting with her back pressed against the mirror on the wall, her bare bottom resting on the open counter next to the sinks. Her knees were apart and revealing more of the woman than Sheila wanted to see, but what was between her legs was even more surprising.

A sangheili's mandibles swept across the hair tangled between the woman's legs to brush against her bare thighs. Nancy was wet down there, it was easy to see, and as Sheila looked away, abashed, unwillingly her eyes found the sangheili who was kneeling below the woman. She watched an alien erection, veiny and purple in color, slip into sight as he moved to stand. It was glossy wet in the stark white light.

Nancy made an unintelligible sound, something like a whimper, as the sangheili brought her hands up over her head to press them against the glass of the mirror as he stood to full height. The mirror itself was fogged with their breath, and coated in smears from the woman's fingers. The alien drew his mandibles against her neck, the woman's legs hanging out from both sides of his torso. Her feet contorted, and Nancy moaned and flexed her spine against the mirror as the sangheili growled something into her ear and suddenly seized her throat in the whole of his fanged mandibles.

Sheila couldn't look away. Couldn't scream…even as she imagined his fangs tearing her skin to ribbons to allow rivulets of her life blood to slip out onto the tile floor. Instead, he held her there, and she couldn't see if the woman was bleeding or not, she was too far away.

Sheila felt her heart hammering in her chest as she watched the alien draw a hand down the woman's chest, fingers playing over Nancy's pale pink bra to sweep at the nipples peering through it before trailing down the line of her naval.

The sangheili's hand crept lower until he had cupped the woman's sex in the full of his hand. His hand was so large that he cast the woman in a modest light, though the look on the woman's face was anything but so. Nancy's eyes seem to roll back into her head as the male flexed his mandibles at her neck, only to pull back and sweep them under her ear to tangle in her hair.

"Untainted." The sangheili had spoken. His voice deep, betraying his lust with the tilt of his words, the depth of his tone. He drew his mandibles over the woman's bare shoulder, "My pretty one." He growled low into Nancy's neck, and the woman whimpered.

Sheila wasn't sure what he meant by _untainted_ , but then she realized she did know. Almost everyone on the ship had been privy to Nancy's diary. She wasn't sure why the woman had kept one around, but it had ended up being a regretful decision. A bitch by the name of Edith Darrow had gotten ahold of it and had made sure it became public news. It was a low and immature, and had stemmed from jealously. Nancy was very pretty, but most people hadn't known, until that day, that she was still very much a virgin.

Nancy had been mortified, but the gossip had died down pretty fast when Beretta had gotten wind of the gossip and the commander had decided to more Darrow off the ship on a reassignment.

No one was sure if it was a religious or a personal problem that made Nancy a virgin, but she very much looked like she wouldn't mind losing that part of herself in a heartbeat with how she was currently contorting on the countertop.

Sheila was embarrassed, shocked, but she found she couldn't look away. Instead she watched how the sangheili cradled Nancy in his hand, how his other hand pressed one arm against the glass as he bent down to bite her gently around the neck again.

Suddenly he drew back and Sheila held her breath as she watched him stand. His erection was brilliant and wet, and she felt for certain that as she watched him regard the panting woman on the sinks with an almost predatory gaze, that Nancy was _about_ to lose her virginity.

Instead, he surprised her…and intrigued her. The sangheili pushed forward and pressed his erection bodily against the woman's belly. Nancy uttered an achy moan and pressed one cheek into the mirror, fingers sliding against glass as he painted her, glistening, with his cock.

The alien organ shone with the sangheili's fluids and soon he was brushing it across her knees, behind her calves and slipping it down her belly and under her breasts.

Sheila swallowed, her throat dry. Her heart pounded so hard in her ears she was afraid they'd hear it. She felt ready to sprint away, to dive into her bunk and pretend this was all just some weird wet dream. Instead, she lingered, she stared, even licking the sudden dryness of her lips.

Sheila tried to imagine what it must be like. To be delicately, but determinedly marked with the sangheili's wetness. The way he drew it across her and under her, it was so possessive. _Sexy._ Sheila couldn't help but feel a twitch of arousal as she continued to watch his interaction with her friend.

Suddenly she heard footsteps somewhere down the hall and released the door. Sheila flinched reflexively at the soft noise the door made as it closed, but from the sounds within, it was clear that they hadn't noticed.

The woman quickly moved down the corridor towards her room. Just as the steps rounded the corner of the hallway, she had already stepped into their room and had closed the door. She leaned against it bodily for a moment, trying to catch her breath. She hadn't ran, she had walked quickly, but Sheila found herself panting like she had dashed down the hall.

After a while all she could hear was her own soft breathing and Emilee's soft snores in her own bunk. Sheila moved to slip into hers, quickly pulling her sheets up to her breasts. She felt dizzy, confused, aroused.

Never in a million years had she even imagined…there was no way she was going to be able to meet Nancy's face tomorrow. All she could imagine when she thought of her friend was the way her face had looked when she orgasmed. Definitely not the most conversational face.

Suddenly she recalled the scene in the cafeteria. The sangheili's voice rumbling in a warm heat, his breath fanning her face, sweeping her bangs over her brow. He had smelled like something spicy. His fingers had made her feel just a shot, as breathless. She was sure that the sangheili in the bathroom was part of that group, he had looked familiar, but she had a hard time telling them apart anyways. The leader of their group however.

He had been taller, stronger and a darker shade. Sangheili were all various shades of brown and black, and he had been the darkest. Sheila recalled the way his eyes caught her own when he had looked at her, so black, his gaze had been like a dark pool, bottomless. She had not seen the reptilian pupils at their center that she knew were there.

An hour of restless thinking and Sheila fell into an uncertain sleep, her expression changing with the events of her dreamtime. Her lips opened slightly during moments of her sleep. A sound like a muted moan, her legs twisting in the sweat of her sheets…

Sheila trembled as she felt a dark sangheili's mandibles pushed themselves around her neck.

 **Okay, this came into being because I was very much interested in some adult Halo content and couldn't find what I was looking for. This is going to be smut with some plot, probably. Or just smut. Hopefully well written smut.**

 **Fair warning, it's going to get naughty. Mature elements, content, kinkiness.** _ **Probably a lot of kinkiness.**_ **Eventually maybe some non-consensual, darker parts-and by the way, I don't know crap about military affairs, etc, I pulled most of this out of thin air. So kind of AU I guess. If mistakes, I apologize. You can suggest edits if you are feeling helpful. ;)**

 **(P.S the name is to hint more at the content, but it's not following anything specific. I flipped through** _ **–that**_ **\- book by the way…curiosity…it was terrible. Sorry, just my opinion. Like what you will.) :P**


	2. Chapter 2

Sheila awoke at the morning alarm with a bad taste on her tongue, dryness clinging to the roof of her mouth. She sat up with a hunch like an elderly woman, and feeling just as aged, the sheets slipping off her body slowly.

It had happened all night. A dream that went into a dream, and then another dream. All of them hot, sticky and weird—and so utterly alien. Sheila had to say that it was the first wet dream, well series of them, that she had ever experienced that involved an alien, and it was only familiar in the way of it being a man whose name she didn't know.

That only made her feel dirtier. Dammit. What was his name? Did she even really want to know? Sheila groaned aloud as she folded her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Her head smacked the railing of the top bunk and she cursed.

"You alright?" Emilee was the late riser as always, and peered down at her curiously, "That had to hurt."

"It did. Yeah." Sheila shook her head, her hand falling away from the knot on her scalp. It was going to be one of _those_ days, wasn't it?

The next few minutes she spent hurriedly getting cleaned up and dressed. She had an important meeting in the medical office this morning. Tardiness was a serious offense in the corps no matter the rank. It was also very disrespectful, so Sheila kept schedules as more of a sense of decorum than anything else, although the punishment in the way of running for hours or doing seventy jumping jacks also helped. She had enough trouble in the training room as it was. Even medics were expected to have skills for battle, they had to defined themselves and preserve the lives of their charges.

The marines were one big family she supposed. Sheila started down the hallway and the sangheili came to mind. These sangheili were the only aliens on board, which she was glad for. It wasn't because of them specifically that she felt this way, it was just that she wasn't fond of others like the jiralhanae or kig-yar. Most of the kig-yar were pirates and she knew a friend from high school who had lost her parents to a raid once. Currently kig-yar and human pirate and rebel groups were what the marines were fighting after the Human-Covenant War ended.

Jiralhanae were just terrifying to her. All the marines had been forced to see footage from past war scenes and in one a Jiralhanae male had literally tore a man apart. That was the one time she had vomited from a film. It had been particularly gory.

Sheila saluted an officer who passed her on her left side as she started down another corridor towards the elevator. Once she stood in front of it, she rounded on the panel where the arrows were located and pressed the down arrow and stepped back quickly as the doors opened. One step forward was misdirected as she was pushed back by her own surprise as something _big_ moved forward.

She couldn't help but exhale sharply as she stumbled backwards, her butt slamming into the wall across from the elevator, looking up with wide green eyes at the sangheili male who looked at her with something akin to amusement in his expression.

This sangheili was huge. She was certain she had seen him once before, yesterday during the skirmish in the cafeteria. One of the large group rallying behind the challenger sangheili.

What was with her and running into aliens?

He was heavily muscled, probably even more so than the brash sangheili from the day before. What really set him apart from the others though was his skin. He was mottled and marred entirely with scars. Dark and pale gray lines ran down from one eye with more scar tissue knotted up above his brow on the right side. Jagged scars that looked as if they were made from claws were like lightning bolts down his neck to curve around a bony clavicle that peered out in the wide neck of his uniform.

He grunted lightly, twisting an arm in its socket as he stretched it overhead. He looked down at her. His fangs caught the light as his mandibles extended in what she determined was a smirk, "Did I frighten you, girl?"

Immediately she bristled in response, straightening her spine as she regarded him. Her drunken father used to berate her and called her 'girl' all the time, so she didn't respond well to being called one by title. She was certainly mature enough at age 25 to be referred to as a woman, acknowledgement of her rank would be even better.

" _Petty officer_ Sheila Cast." She corrected him, "And no, I'm fine." She surprised herself by how clinical and firm her voice sounded. Although the sangheili was intimidating, she felt no fear. Perhaps it was because she had been dreaming about one all night?

Thinking about the dreams again made her feel embarrassed, especially as the sangheili began to silently scrutinize her with his golden eyes. Sheila looked away from those bright orbs, and stared at the sharp fangs protruding from his mandibles instead. Suddenly they flared open and this movement startled her and she side stepped away from him.

The sangheili laughed. Sheila swallowed, the sound making her feel nervous. It wasn't a playful sort of laughter, it sounded almost mocking.

"What's so funny?" She asked him, feeling brave after a moment.

He stopped laughing and his golden eyes gleamed down at her as he stepped forward. Sheila stepped back in response, trying to keep her face a calm mask. "You're so much smaller than your males." The sangheili said, "Shouldn't you be at home tending your brood?"

Sheila froze. What? You can't be serious. "What's that supposed to mean?" She couldn't keep the bite out of her voice.

The male just laughed again, shortly, "Females are worthless on the battlefield. Especially your kind. You're only a distraction." The sangheili stepped forward and she couldn't move as his shadow fell over her, and she felt trapped again in alien eyes. "Or an easy target." His golden eyes had sharp black reptilian arcs that eyed her almost predatory, "But not to worry female, if I see you on the field I'll ensure your life is preserved. Maybe you can thank me by warming by bed."

"Y-you can't be serious." Sheila couldn't and found no need to hide the rage in her voice. Of course there were also sexist aliens, "How dare you."

"You're a fiery little thing." The sangheili barked in laughter, his bottom mandibles tucking as he smirked at her again.

Sheila's eyes burned into him a final time before she shoved by him, her head barely reaching his shoulder as she moved into the open elevator. Her nails dug into her palms as she made fists, trembling slightly, trying to contain her anger as she sought the button on the wall that would take her down.

Her eyes saw the shadow too late and she couldn't help gasping as the alien entered the elevator suddenly, and clapped his large clawed hand over the panel she had been staring at only a moment earlier. The elevator doors closed in seconds.

Sheila twisted her chin towards the sangheili, "What are you doing?" She questioned. Her heart began to pick up pace. The elevator lights bleached them in its light and made his scars shine silver in the light. Alien eyes gleamed as they regarded her.

She froze as he moved forward, his legs pushed up by her sides and a hand reached down to rest on her shoulder. Sheila couldn't look away as he caught her green gaze in his flaming gold.

His words were smooth, dark, rumbling, "You remind me of another female. Her mane is darker than yours. Black. As dark as a Jiralhanae bitch." The sangheili grinned his fangs gleaming in his mouth.

Sheila was shocked and a little afraid, and it was enough that she didn't move as he drew a hand towards her face. She winced as he ran a finger down her cheek, the claw catching slightly on skin as it ran down her face slowly.

"She screamed so energetically when I found her. Hiding in a hole in the ground. I pulled her up into the light and she thrashed in my grip. Like a wild animal." The sangheili's hand dropped to her shoulder and ran down her arm, "We had killed her male companions. She was the only one left."

Sheila's heart beat like an approaching thunder in her ears as he bent down. Soon they were face to face, his mandibles sending his hot breath awash over her face to sting her eyes, "T-here are cameras." She said quickly, unable to restrain her fear at last.

He seemed to pause, his golden eyes regarding her almost curiously. The sangheili laughed again, "I do believe I'm making you nervous. Don't worry girl, I won't hurt you. I'm only making talk."

Sheila stepped back, back meeting a wall of the elevator. Her eyes glanced at the panel on the wall. Why wasn't the elevator moving? "Don't touch me." She all but spat at him as he made like he was going to do just that again. He dropped his hand.

"She was my first human." Sheila realized with horror that he was continuing the story. She read enough narratives to know where this was going, "The covenant allowed no females to partake in war, as it should be, so we took what we could when we felt the need."

Sheila drew in a gasping breath as he stood over her again, the alien stretching out both arms to press at the walls around her, effectively caging her in, "She was eager to please me when she realized it would extend her life. That's the one thing I can complement your kind about." His mandibles flared open again and she heard a sound. Like a soft whistle of air. Was he smelling her?

Sheila then saw the holes at the end of his face, almost blending in with his dark complexion and felt him pick up her hair with his breath as he inhaled slowly. She released a shaky gasp as he bent closer and continued in his narrative, "I was in charge of my own troops and they wouldn't dare inform the so-called prophets of my blasphemous activities. After all…" The sangheili's mandibles curved again, "I don't mind sharing what is mine."

Her heart thundered ceaselessly as he bent down closer, and she could see he was missing a few teeth as his mandibles opened up to her again. She wrinkled her nose reflexively at the stink of his breath, "I kept her in my cabin for the rest of the war. Once the war was over-." He paused as if he had considered something.

Sheila breathed at last as he suddenly stepped away from her, a cool air surrounding her suddenly hot body.

"-She begged me to stay." Sheila froze.

"What?" Sheila looked at him with a mixture of horror and fascination.

The sangheili's mandibles flexed with his rumbling laughter, "Surprised? What female wouldn't want to be mine? I give pleasure as well as I take it."

"You're lying." Sheila accused, standing up from straight from where she had been leaning against the wall, "No one would allow it." The very idea was madness.

"That is where you are wrong." The sangheili's posture straightened and his mandibles grinned widely at her. Sheila felt confused as he laughed again, and a little afraid, "Once our treaty was signed there was nothing that could be done. Part of the treaty was an acknowledgement that cultural laws would be upheld by both sides."

Sheila could only stare numbly as he continued. "A Sangheili swordsman cannot marry in his lifetime, under no circumstances, but he is allowed to collect a harem. Those woman can only belong to him, and can never marry. They exist only for pleasure, and most are from family lines derived from honor less bastards. They consider themselves valuable because a male of high renown, like myself, give them value."

The sangheili turned from her then and she watched as he suddenly pressed his palm on the elevator panel. She felt dizzy as the floor shuddered slightly under her feet as the elevator began to move, "So at the end of the great lie that was the covenant, I began my harem with the human Darena Sue Lancaster."

He turned to face her, golden eyes capturing her in their glow, "I saw the way Raju looked at you. He can see what I see." She found she couldn't move as his hand found the side of her face, and the side of his palm caressed her face lightly like a slight brush by the wind, "I don't tell this story to every little female that intrigues me."

He brought his head down again, his too-sharp fangs shining wet in his mouth as he fanned her brow with his hot breath, eyes capturing her own, "I'm quite picky." She swallowed as he drew back to full height. Too tall. She felt pathetic, less, and as nervous as a hare in the shadow of a fox.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open, but Sheila wasn't moving, wasn't looking at the doors. She was staring with bated breath at the sangheili who had moved towards them but was still very much keeping her gaze with his own.

"So, Sheila Cast. If you decide you want to try a male of a more alien persuasion." He grinned at her with his mandibled fangs glinting cruelly sharp in the light, "Come find me."

He left and with him an oppressing shadow, his words still running through her head. Sheila didn't stop herself as she fell against the wall of the elevator and didn't move as the doors closed on her floor. Slowly she slid against the wall until she was sitting on the ground.

00oo00oo00oo00

"What do you mean?" Sheila couldn't suppress her outrage, and her voice reverberated with it.

"Nado 'Deone is untouchable. He's broken no laws, at least pertaining to his own people, and he didn't cause you physical harm." Beretta's voice and face betrayed perfect calm, a demeanor that conflicted dramatically with Sheila's own rising frustration.

"He touched me." Sheila choked, "Didn't you watch the video feed?"

Beretta sighed behind her desk, running a hand over the short spiky hair on her scalp, "Yes, but he didn't grope you."

"You're joking." Sheila laughed shortly, but it wasn't a humorous laugh. It was a sound on the verge of tears or hysteria, "Whose side? Because that bullshit sounds totally alien to me!"

"Sit down Cast, I can see why you're upset," The other woman said, "But we can't revise the treaty as we've only been in it for a few decades. We need the sangheili, it's a slippery relationship at times, but they're powerful allies. The covenant is split into small groups but these leftover covies still have some major pieces of foreunner technology, not to mention these blasted pirates. The bastards are trying to pick us clean." Beretta drew in a long breath, leaning back in her chair. "Damn vultures." Sheila knew she referred to the kig-yar specifically. Rumor had it that she absolutely detested the race, though no one knew the full details as to why.

"So he can get away with holding a woman hostage and assaulting her for how long then?" Sheila asked exasperated, "Doesn't she have rights?"

Beretta gave her a no nonsense sort of look and tucked her arms onto her desk. She released a drawn out sigh. "Documentation by professionals' show she consented to her situation, and by Sangheili customs, she is in an official relationship with Deone. People in these situations are actually granted status in the Sangheili community." Beretta casually began flipping through papers on her desk, and this did nothing to alleviate Sheila's growing anxiety, "She is pretty much capable of sharing his name, and on the planet she cannot be harmed or publically attacked because of his influence. There are laws that protect citizens, and Darena Sue Lancaster-'Deone' is considered one of their own citizenry."

"This." Sheila's breathe cut free from her lips in a sharp exhale, "This isn't right. Did you hear what he said about her? He had to have brainwashed the woman or something…maybe she was scared—"

The woman jumped a bit as Beretta smacked her palm against her desktop with a resounding thud, a slip of paper falling to the floor. Beretta shook her hand, wincing, then gave Sheila a stern look, "Listen, he goaded you. I get it. He's a womanizing manipulative alien with some weird human fetish, but that's not the point. Cast, you cannot, will not, pursue this. Leave it alone, just stay out of Deone's way."

"But—"

"Aye, listen!" Beretta snapped this time, in the voice she used when they ran drills. Sheila quieted immediately by reflex, eyes cast down to her feet, "If he walks down the hall, walk the other way. If he tries to talk to you, report it to another officer or come to me. You're going to pretend this alien is as far out of your radar as he can possibly get, do we have an understanding?"

"Yes ma'am." Sheila said clearly but her eyes were fogged with indecision. She bit at her lip as Beretta looked her over with narrowed eyed. She hadn't expected her morning to end like this. It was disheartening and aggravating. She had barely been able to communicate with the doctors at the meeting and had jabbed a patient twice because she had been distracted enough to miss his vein during a blood sample.

"You're excused." Beretta moved to collect the paper that had fallen from her desk.

Sheila stood there for a moment before quietly leaving the room, feeling like a puppy with its tail tucked low. She didn't care that her subconscious seemed to have sexual alien preferences. This sangheili had altered her perceptions of his kind dramatically, and she would not make the mistake of interacting with one of _them_ again. She remembered the sangheili from the cafeteria and his smoldering eyes, his assertiveness with her.

She would not let it happen again.

00oo00oo00oo00

Unfortunately for her, the aliens were very much a part of their crew and later that day, after lunch where Sheila kept her back and eyes to every sangheili she could, there was an announcement.

"Meet up in the blue room. AI team simulations. If you're late you get the shitty equipment, so late arrivals are already six feet under." Beretta stood off to the side of the doors and ushered them out of the cafeteria.

Emilee and Sheila moved swiftly through the crowd that moved down the corridor like a sea flush with fish. She casually bumped arms and legs in the crowd as was to be expected with her fellow humans, but was very aware of a sangheili only five feet away from her and kept up a speedy pace to avoid him. Emilee had to hold onto her arm to not be separated from her suddenly impatient friend, but luckily didn't seem to notice her sudden xenophobic attitude.

"Looking forward to the sim?" Emilee asked as they turned down another corridor past the rows of doors leading to the male dormitories.

Sheila was and told her yes. Simulations weren't dangerous, and she really felt like shooting someone today. Which was probably not a good thing for a medic to want. She was supposed to heal people after all, not cause them harm.

Those people however, were her own. Sheila wasn't sure what she would do with an injured sangheili. She wasn't as confident with their anatomy and had shied away from the guides her fellow medic in office, Evelin Gracie, had shown her. Sheila knew that because of the Sangheilios and Earth alliance formed after the war that she would be expected to eventually learn about their bodies, but for now, she had had more than enough of naked aliens.

Now every sangheili she saw seemed to wear an evil smirk in their mandibles and they all seemed to have the same intensity in their eyes as Nado 'Deone. Sheila gritted her teeth when she recalled that specific sangheili. She hadn't been so thoroughly disgusted in a long time. She hoped this simulation was a free for all, because she knew exactly who she would be placing in her crosshairs…

Not so much fortune as she thought. Sheila sighed as they lined up, already aware of the telltale signs that they were probably going to be split up into groups to combat simulations of pirates.

Commander Beretta and Major Evan Merico crossed the room to stand in front of the lines of marines as everyone lined up in an orderly fashion which became a swifter endeavor at a sharp clap from Beretta, "Move people, straighten up that formation. Front facing me!"

Their commander clasped her hands together, feet apart, and spine straight. Her pale blue eyes drew over their formation for a long moment before she spoke, "Good, alright soldiers, we have a jungle environment today. Kig-yar pirates. There will be sniper units and cannons so keep your eyes peeled. Environmental factors will be included. Don't fall into any sand pits or you will have penalties."

Major Merico stepped forward, "I will be grading your performance today, but I'm also a team leader. Commander Beretta and I will be monitoring your progress, and we will both represent two individual teams between us. We will not take part, but will merely observe."  
Beretta smiled wryly, "Like mascots out of costume. But if my team disappoints me, I'm not going to be cheerful about it."

Merico's cool expression didn't alter, his mouth still in its usual thin line. He reminded Sheila of a professor she once had in high school. Stern never smiling. Mr. Stevens, biology 101. Beretta was more like her coach in volleyball. Loud, sarcastic, and sometimes pleasantly light hearted. The two seemed to balance one another out.

"Because there are so many of you, there will be sub groups of a much larger group." Beretta continued, holding up a pda, "On the walls to the right of the room are lists that label the groups. Find your name on the list and meet at the designated area to find your groups. No dallying about, get it done."

With that they were released to crowd over to the lists on the wall. People went up to the papers spread out in a neat line on the wall and quickly scanned the sheet for their name and then dispersed to find their team.

Soon Sheila had pushed through the crowd and walked alongside the wall, eyes quickly looking through the many names until she found her own at the bottom of the third slip.

Amanda Bagby, Scottie Davidson, Palo—

Sheila stiffened when her eyes scanned the very alien name at the bottom of the column. Palo Hanee.

Of course. The day she swore of contact with aliens she just happened to be stuck in a group with one. Sheila crossed her arms as she made her way through the crowd, unable to avoid scanning the people around her, eyes lingering on the sangheili there. She wondered which one was to be her team member.

She remembered her team designation: Black 3. At the far end of the room were a series of doors labelled with colors and numbers. It was here that they would be hooked up into the simulation. Behind these doors was an incredibly dark room. Her first time in simulation the chill and darkness had intimidated her. She had felt certain that dark space had been held within it and that soon she would suffocate in the void and lose all of herself in that oblivion.

The very first simulations were known to be stressful so it hadn't been surprising to hear about people having panic attacks or hurling after trying out the pre-environments. Once the loading stage was down with however, it was magical to see a huge world suddenly open up to you.

Sheila remembered her first simulation. A forest thick with fog, with trees that reached so high they blocked the sky. Rebel forces. A sniper had managed to nick her shoulder and she had perished to a trip mine that had been positioned at a cave entrance. Simulations often felt very real, so it was both exciting and terrifying. She could honestly say she had died twelve times now. Still, dying never got old. There was enough pain to make it feel real enough but it was the thought of it that was really scary. Death snuck up on you, and it was sobering to realize that in real life, it would be one slip up…one trap, and no more second chances.

Fifteen doors stretched out across the wide wall, and she moved to the black one with the large letter 3 stretched over its entirety. There was already a woman there, this Amanda Bagby she had yet to be acquainted with. They met eye to eye, and the woman smiled and she returned it on a reflex, "Hello, Sheila cast?" The woman's voice was light and airy, positive, her unusually pale blue eyes reflecting the same lightness.

"That's me." Sheila held out a hand and they shook.

Hearing foot pads they turned to see the last two members of their group walk over. Sheila breathed in deeply at the sight of the huge alien striding in equal measure with the human male who obviously was doing his best to walk fast enough to keep at the alien's side.

Her breath froze in her lungs when the sangheili was in front of them. Her heart picked up pace. She felt dizzy. There was something very familiar about this alien. It was startling, this sudden realization. She had seen him before…but where? The cafeteria?

When Sheila stared at his mandibles for a moment, it suddenly hit her like a shock of electricity. Oh shit.

His skin was less bleached out in this light, not like it had been in the bathroom, but yes, it was that sangheili. The one who had been stimulating Nancy with his dick.

 _Fuck me._ Out of all the aliens here, it had to be that one. Sheila felt horrified and knew they were all looking at her, confused at her silence and the gaping of her mouth as she stared at the sangheili in front of her.

"Are you alright?" Scottie asked, "You look like you're ready to vomit. Is this your first sim?"

Sheila shook away her daze with a quick drop of her chin, unable to look at the sangheili any longer. This was absolutely mortifying, though she quickly told her teammates she was alright with a false too-sweet smile on her face, doing her best to keep from making eye contact with Palo who she felt was drilling holes in the back of her head with his stare.

This would not end well. Sheila faintly wondered if a sniper would kill her or if she would just slip off the edge of a cliff and pretend she had slipped.

00oo00oo00oo00

They were instructed to step single file into the dark room after applying the sensory pads on their heads, shoulders, chests, hips. Pretty much on all the major bones of the body. Then came the secondary stickers which were placed over large muscle groups. Finally they swallowed a pill to help the process start smoothly, suppressing any major panic attacks or nausea and the door was closed behind them, and they were trapped in the inky all compressing darkness of the room.

Sheila shivered in the cool of it, still feeling as if her feet could drop out from under her at any moment, jettisoned in the cold unforgiving deepness of space. The feeling of vertigo was overwhelming, and she did her best to take in slow even breaths, trying to ignore the sangheili she knew was standing at her side.

Suddenly in the silence it was like a shot in the air. A sudden explosion of color. Like fireworks, the world burst into life all around them, drawing them in like a suddenly living canvas. Air drew around them, the sun warmed their skin…the air was alive with the buzzing of insects.

They were now standing in a jungle, lush green twisting trees, vines draped over massive branches thick with a heavy covering of moss. Long fingers of light made spots on the floor of the tropical forest.

Sheila stepped forward and heard the moist crunch of vegetation and twigs under her boot. It always felt so real. It only made it all the scarier.

It was also quiet. There was not a bird or monkey screeching into the air. Not a flutter of movement in the trees.

Still. Too still.

They were also suddenly in light armor, their faces open, a camo patterned cap over their heads. Amusingly enough, their faces were also painted, all except for their sangheili partner who seemed to have entered the simulation in alien armor of a darker color than what he had been wearing. This time however, a sleekly curved helm sat atop his head.

They each felt a weight on their backs and felt behind them and pulled their weapons to the front to examine them. Rifles. Holstered at their hips were also pistols. The sangheili held his rifle up to the light.

"I suppose this will do." The sangheili spoke and Sheila looked at him in surprise, though she knew it shouldn't have been one. They were teammates and were going to have to communicate regardless of her personal issues.

Maybe he would be different. Whatever his personality, what was really making her shy about working him was the bathroom scene she had been privy to last night. Sheila couldn't help her eyes drifting to his pelvis. His endowment had been quite large, and she imagined it hiding behind the seam of his groin, wet and ready.

Sheila felt her face flush when she thought of his cock again. She hadn't felt his embarrassed and stupid since she was a teenager. Her first time with a boy. Ugh. So awkward. She really hated herself right now for thinking this way.

"Okay." Scottie's voice dragged her back to reality and their situation, "Keep your senses alert, they could be hiding in the trees, or even in the underbrush. We got this."

He seemed to think he was designated team leader so he began walking and we followed. No one seemed to question it, or care. Sheila certainly didn't feel capable of playing a leadership role at the moment. She felt too unstable. The sangheili, Palo, merely followed quietly, and Sheila was very aware of every crisp sound his large feet made on the earth behind her.

The jungle trees stretched around them, and massive green roots cut the ground up into irregular knots of earth that forced them to climb over a few, wet leaves sticking to the front of their outfits as they continued onward.

So far they hadn't encountered any enemies and Sheila was feeling almost bored until she heard a cracking sound and there was a scattering of dust on a root near her foot. She glanced the hole the shot had made in the bark before she rolled onto the ground, her team doing the same.

Suddenly the jungle erupted in shots. Sniper trained.

There was a frenzied panic and Amanda ran off in one direction while Scottie fell backwards over a tree root with a cry. Palo rolled gracefully near where Sheila lay, and she watched the muscles of his thick legs stretch and move like a coiled machine as he crouched only to burst forward, firing volleys into a grove of shorter trees nearby.

There was a guttural alien cry as a kig-yar burst from the trees, holding a shoulder that was gushing thick blue blood, moving to lift his gun up with his uninjured gun while moving away from them in a zig-zagging run.

Sheila quickly reached her feet and fired off a shot towards the fleeing pirate and grinned as her shot smacked the alien in the thigh, grounding him.

Amanda was quick to finish the job, running up brazenly with a pistol shot into the alien's skull.

So far so good.

"There was more than one." Scottie said suddenly and Sheila looked to him just as another shot broke the silence. She looked at her companion, horrified, as a sudden spread of dark wetness soiled his front. He had stumbled back in response to the force of it and now was looking down at his chest in horror. Sheila watched, cursing, as Scottie's eyes rolled back into his head and he 'died' from his wound, his body disappearing in front of their eyes.

"Oh shit." Amanda said as shots sprayed the ground around them, "Go!"

Their team quickly rolled over roots and sprinted through the trees, hearing the enemy in pursuit behind them. Sheila knew the sound of their feet well. Too fast, too crisp.

Skirmishers. Deadly, fast, far too accurate. If they didn't gain ground fast, it would all be over far too soon.

"Follow me." Palo commanded suddenly, and he veered off the path and into a thicker knotting of trees. They followed his lead like scared sheep, all too aware of the foot pads of approaching predators that were far better equipped naturally than they were.

It was hard keeping up with the longer legged alien, and the way he drew his legs over large roots and obstructions in their path was almost supernatural. He had this, well, alien grace to him.

Sheila also couldn't help but notice how tight but also nicely rounded his ass was.

 _Get your mind out of the gutter!_ Sheila couldn't understand how she could hate this race one moment and then be ogling them another. It was exhausting. Perplexing.

Suddenly Palo stopped and Sheila stopped just in time to avoid running into his back with the full of her face. The sangheili turned on her, "Where is Bagby?" He questioned.

They looked around, unable to find Amanda. Suddenly Sheila turned behind them at the sound of girlish scream sounding off not too distantly, and the cackling sound of a kig-yar cry of victory

The sangheili suddenly seized her shoulder in his warm leathery grip and spun her around, and Sheila blinked rapidly in surprise as his dark eyes peered into her own.

"We must go." Palo said in that smooth tilting accent of his. He released her and turned to stride quickly through the underbrush, obviously expecting her to follow. Sheila quickly followed his lead.

00oo00oo00oo00

Soon they were resting in a thick grove of jungle trees blossoming with bright yellow flowers that permeated the air with a sticky sweet scent. Sheila rested on a rock near the roots of one while her sangheili companion merely leaned his weight against a tree, the low hanging canopy falling over one shoulder like a mantle.

"We are safe here, for now." The sangheili, Palo, told her. The hum of his voice betraying his pleasure, "If these simulations are as true to life as they should be, the kig-yar pirates will not find us here."

"Why?" Sheila asked, because although she was still shy around the sangheili, she was also very curious.

"These flowers." The alien reached to his shoulder and slipped his long fingers around a bunch of blossoms with a gentleness that surprised her, "The scent is strong. Too fragrant. Kig-yar have a great sense of smell. They will not be able to follow us by it here."

Sheila released a whoosh of air in relief. That did sound good. She was awfully tired of running. This simulation was always too real. She never ceased to ache after even a twenty-minute session. She wasn't even sure how long they had been in this jungle. The trees were like the forest simulation she had participated in long ago. You couldn't see the sky the canopies reached so high and spread so thickly…

"You are Sheila Cast?" Palo started suddenly, "A medic?"

She turned to him, feeling wary, "Yes." She said slowly, "What about it?"

Palo looked thoughtful, quiet for a moment before speaking again, "Do you work on my kind?"

Sheila turned clinical at that moment, feeling a rush of action from her eyes and her mind as she scanned the sangheili in front of her. It was always the same, any instance, even an idea of a wound and she was looking at the person, searching for evidence of one. He seemed fine.

"Yes, I am." She said, "Are you hurt?"

The alien watched her with dark eyes, "No, I was merely curious. Forgive me for prying."

Sheila was surprised at the apology. This alien kept on surprising her. She supposed not all sangheili were the same? This one seemed much quieter in his manners than the others. He lacked that intensity in his motions that tense, _warrior_ stance. He seemed almost relaxed and she watched as he admired a bloom resting on a lower mandible from the bough at his shoulder, his sharp claws sweeping over a petal and around it…very gentle, unwilling to tear a single petal.

"You are Nancy's friend?"

The question brought her out of her thoughts in a jolt. Sheila eyes moved only to be caught up in her companion's dark gaze, his eyes shining in what little light they had like dark stones in a river caught in a scattering glow.

"Yes." Sheila answered honestly. She wasn't sure where this was going, but she felt a sense of uneasiness.

The sangheili seemed to lean into the tree more, and there was a slight creaking sound as he displaced his weight, "She is a lovely woman." He said.

Sheila wondered where this was going and could not find a reply to his comment. What was she supposed to say to that? All she could think of was the bathroom scene again. Maybe she could just come out and say it: I saw your penis. I'm super awkward around you because of it.

Ugh.

"She's a good friend." Sheila said instead.

Palo tilted his head at her once, bottom mandibles splaying open slowly, "Yes she is." He agreed, "She has many good traits."

I'm sure she does. Sheila once again tried to think about anything other than the scene out of interspecies porn, but failed.

"You seem uncomfortable." Palo said suddenly, and Sheila turned her head at him with wide eyes.

Crap. "I'm fine." She said suddenly, almost aggressive in the tone of her voice.

The sangheili took a step forward and startled Sheila as he suddenly crouched over her. The woman quickly straightened up in her seat.

"Are you afraid of me?" Palo asked her, and she couldn't determine the emotion of his vocals.

"No, of course not." Sheila said suddenly, feeling a flush come over her cheeks.

Suddenly the sangheili seemed to have a shine to his expression, his mandibles turning up as he regarded her, "Oh, I understand." He drew his head closer to her and flexed his fanged mandibles again, too sharp, too close. She flinched, "You are merely aroused."

Sheila choked on her own tongue. She felt a flush redder and hotter than anything she felt in a long while come over her neck and face.

What the fuck. How-?

The sangheili backed off, giving her space. Sheila felt that it wasn't enough. This wasn't happening. Did he really just say what she thought he said?

"I apologize." Palo said quickly, mandibles spreading out in an almost helpless way, shrugging, apologetic. Well those were the signs she was getting from his tone alone. "I did not mean to embarrass you. I was merely making an observation."

"What the hell Palo." Sheila all but yelled, though she felt she was on the brink of a scream, "What gave you that idea?"

The sangheili made a slight shrugging motion with his mandibles again, his dark eyes meeting her own, "Your behavior betrayed female interest." He paused, "And your scent was quite strong earlier."

Scent? He can _smell_ —oh fuck me. Sheila wanted to scream in frustration and also cry in laughter. A spill of hysteria. Of all the things to happen to her today…

"Does this interest derive from your spying last night?"

Sheila felt she could die. At that very moment.

"H-how? I don't." She stammered, unable to meet his now _very_ interested gaze.

The sangheili's voice was full of humor now, his words a-bounce, "Did you not see the mirror behind my Nancy? Your eyes were quite vibrant with your interest."

 _My Nancy?_ "Stop talking." Sheila snapped, trying to hold ground even as she felt her knees grow weak.

"Does my interest offend you?" He asked innocently.

She gaped at him. Interest? Wait, he's interested?

"What?"

Palo moved closer and she stood just and fell back against the bark of a one of the flowering trees, the boughs of lively green and yellow blossoms falling over her face and shoulders.

The sangheili drew himself around her by full size alone, one of his long digitigrade legs, what looked like his long ankle, drawing up at her thigh. Trapping her in the width of his hips and the full length of his legs. She could smell something like leather and watched the beads of moisture from the jungle air slide down his metal breastplate.

Palo's dark eyes turned their gaze down at her, ensnaring her own in their intensity. That familiar alien intensity that was slowly driving her insane.

He didn't move to touch her, his hands rested at his sides, but in the turn of his shoulders and the position of his legs, he was close enough, "Am I making you uncomfortable, Sheila Cast?"

"I..." Sheila couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say.

Suddenly he drew back, "I apologize for calling you out." She gaped at the sincerity in his voice. She watched as he collected his rifle again, "Come, we must keep moving."

She realized she had slid to a seating position, too distracted to realize she had taken a seat when he had released her from his entrapping presence. He reached down to her with his free hand. His huge hand. Two long alien fingers with two shorter appendages. Leathery, gray, with a warmer brown at the palm. She stared at his offered hand.

Tentatively, she slipped her hand in his own, like an infants in a father's sturdy grip, and he pulled her to her feet.

Once she was on her feet she took in a deep breath, unable to meet the alien's eyes. Palo was not looking at her however, he seemed focused on reloading his gun. Soon though, he looked to her again, "Come, let us find a suitable position in the trees. It is due time to tip the scales."

Sheila could only follow silently as he lead the way through the green twisting bodies of the trees, now more unable than ever to focus on the task at hand, her eyes firmly concentrated on the very well-shaped posterior of Palo Hanee.

 _Shit._

 **Hope you kids enjoyed! (By the way if you're kids, get the fuck out, to put that eloquently. Stay sweet...and in school) XP**

 **This chapter took a while to put out…sorry! I had ten pages written for the past month, but I just now added five more pages and worked in the edits. Hope I didn't rush too many scenes. I like to write well while delivering solid content…I try. ^-^**

 **Not much smut in this one…but will be a bunch in the next. Definitely. ;3 There will be different characters of sangheili to enjoy, Palo is our more 'romantic' one. If you enjoyed post a review, I like to hear from my readers. Thanks for reading, stay tuned for the smut train.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3, hope you enjoy. Big thanks to Archodus Vaxal for helping me with some Sangheili facts. Definitely helped this chapter get out faster. :)**

The shadow of a large bird fell over them darkly before disappearing into the canopy above. Sheila had jumped twice now from a stray shadow and once from the crackling of leaves as a small raccoon looking creature, but with a long anteater like snout, had burst free from the undergrowth to send her almost jumping into Palo's arms.

He had merely looked at her with something like amusement in his expression when she jumped, and she had hurriedly looked away, embarrassed.

She couldn't stop thinking about their conversation earlier. It was stifling, the realization that he had actually saw her seeing him…doing that…with Nancy. It was just terrible. Terribly awkward…

"I wonder what planet inspired this simulation." Palo said randomly as he drew his gaze over their surroundings, "These animals are unique."

Sheila glanced at him as they walked, "You saw more? I only saw that long nosed one."

"There was a group sitting by the stream, near those red stalky trees." Palo explained, "They had many legs. Six. They remind me of tophi, they are native to Yor IV." He gazed up at the canopy as another shadow flew over, "Those are quite venomous when enraged."

What? Sheila stopped to look at him, her stomach turning, "Umm, venomous?" Gee, and I was worried about the sand pits…

Palo laughed, a gruff but warm sound. It was oddly comforting. "They left when they saw me looking. Into the stream."

Sheila sighed in relief. Well that was good news. "I guess we just stay away from water then." She smiled and she was surprised when Palo closed his mandibles to his face. She had to stare for a second. It looked strange. "What's wrong?"

This time he looked confused, "There's nothing wrong with me."

"Never mind." Sheila flushed. There was still a lot about sangheili facial expressions that were unknown to her. Sometimes they could look fiercely angry just by the sharpness of their teeth alone.

Palo of course, was quite intuitive, which Sheila found a bit unsettling with their dramatic chat earlier where he had admitted that he had saw and approved of her watching him be intimate with Nancy.

"I was displaying my pleasure." Palo explained. "We are opposites, our people. You open yourself up when you are happy and we close and…contain our joy."

"You…were smiling?" Sheila said in realization, and he nodded in response.

"We do share other things in common." Palo started as they began walking again, Sheila watching the trees above as another shadow flew over, "We both laugh. We have two legs, and two arms."

Sheila laughed as she looked back at him, "Is that all?"

Palo stopped and she stood by him as he regarded her with a tilt of his great head, his dark eyes shining in a meaningful way. "Two eyes." He paused. "Our females are short…you are short. Your hips are…rotund, but male hips are squared, like your males." His mandibles dipped in kind of a helpless way and he looked away, "That is all."

Sheila hid a smile at his abashed state, but she crossed her arms, an arched an eyebrow at him.

"Stopping while you're ahead." Sheila rolled her eyes, "If you had talked about my thighs I'd have to punch you."

Palo did that smiling thing again and nodded lightly at her, "Oh no, human females are a lovely shape. You come in so many…and your thighs are nicely rounded…they…" He paused and the long look Sheila gave him, "Did I offend you?"

"No." Sheila shook her head, unable to hide the smile that lit up her features. This sangheili constantly amused and surprised her. "You're just adorable." She felt her cheeks warm with this reply, but it was an honest one, and she didn't regret saying it.

Palo of course, looked insulted, and she couldn't tell if it was a façade or not, "Me? Adorable? How can this be?" He closed his mandibles in a smile, and she relaxed, certain he was just jesting now.

"You are a character Palo." Sheila laughed. He was quite charming. Which was unsurprising with how he had literally charmed the pants off of Nancy. She berated herself silently for bringing those images back into her mind. She was surprised when she felt a little glum…was she really envious of Nancy?

"Your comment brings me pleasure." Palo said simply and she watched as he continued forward, waving one hand back behind him, "Now let us see this journey to its end."

Sheila sped up to follow the sangheili's longer stride. They walked for another minute before the jungle trees seemed to thin out around them, and the ground come out into a clearing.

There also seemed to be more sand here and tangled looking roots that erupted from the ground in uneven places like ugly black worms.

Sheila was weary of walking and moved to take a seat on one such root. Palo made no move to follow, and instead paused on the green grass wrapped around the sandy ground. He looked up to the dark quiet canopies above and paused. He was as still as stone, not a finger twitching.

Sheila frowned as she noticed this stillness. "What's wrong? Do you hear something?" Her voice quieted as she looked around, feeling on guard all a sudden. There was something off about this location. It was…too calm, too quiet.

Feeling uncomfortable, the woman clapped a hand to the pistol at her hip and moved to stand. She took one step towards her sangheili companion and felt herself fall forward.

Sheila fell onto the sand with an 'oof' and as she tried to gain her bearings she released a broken scream as she felt her hands give through the salt.

It was at this moment when she realized that with every small movement she was sinking into the sand. A sand pit! Of course, Commander Beretta had warned them to stay alert for them, and Sheila, like some damn fool, had fallen right into one!

Sheila had no time to curse herself for her stupidity, for she was panicking now. Sand scattered but also compressed around her hands, tugging her down like some murderous earth monster that was pulling her into the depths.

She could only utter one more short scream before sand fell over her mouth and nose and her eyes slipped closed just as she was pulled completely into the ground.

Sheila felt bound to the earth that was an all compressing force around her body, suffocating, tight, there was nothing but this force clasped around her. She was being buried alive, and with each tug of her limbs in determination to free herself, she only felt herself sink further into the ground, and what air she had left in her lungs, burning out from within.

It was the worst death she would suffer yet. This she was certain of. Sheila couldn't even scream, there was nothing but this squeezing all-consuming oblivion.

 _Not like this. No one should have to suffer this._

Suddenly she could feel a disruption in the force holding her, near her left arm. She could move her wrist, fingers flexed desperately, and suddenly something was clasped tightly around her arm.

Her head broke the surface and Sheila tasted grit as she panted and gasped for breath. Her eyes burned in the open air. She felt tears of relief blur in her vision and ease the burning as a familiar shadow fell over her face.

She spat to the side, froth catching on her lips as sand crackled between her teeth. It was all over her, and in her. Sheila couldn't stop the sobs that shook and broke from her.

Then there was him. She felt his arms sweep her in, and tuck her away into the warmth of his body. She felt cold. As if she had truly been touched by death and freed the moment the sun hit her face again.

Sheila tucked her arms under his and pressed her head against his chest plate as he surrounded her with his embrace, hugging him like a child.

"Sheila." Palo said gently, "I have you. You are free now. Safe."

Sheila could only cry into his armor, hating the earth that even now tugged at her heels. She had never once felt so afraid.

"I will end it now." Palo told her. She knew what he meant. The safety switch, and she felt her heart seize up in her chest. She had failed, and had been emotionally compromised and so she had dragged him, and her team, down with her.

"Don't." Sheila whimpered, pulling back, moving to wipe her tears onto the sleeve of her uniform. She tried to steady her voice, "We can't fail this damn thing because of me. I can keep going."

"I should call it off." Palo made a slight hissing sound. He didn't sound angry, merely resigned. "You have been through enough. You are shaking…and leaking."

Sheila both choked and wetly gasped with something mixed between laughter and sobs, "Palo! You don't cry?"

Palo made a shushing sound with his vocals, and gently brushed a hand down her face, moving back the hair matted there by tears, "Remember Sheila." His voice was soft, and his warm breath smelled sweet rather than sour, "Sangheili keep it inside."

"But why?" Sheila sniffed, trying to stifle her shaking, one hand against her pounding heart, "Doesn't it hurt keeping it all inside?"

"We feel sorrow but we do not leak from the eyes. We sing from the hearts. We cry and we thunder with our feelings." Palo said softly, "We fight and we keen."

"Oh Palo." Sheila sighed, trying to wipe away the wetness sticking to her cheeks. Thankfully the simulation wasn't perfect and she felt no sand clinging to her sleeves. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Palo insisted and he pulled back.

"Just give me a moment and we can continue."

The sangheili dipped his head, "If you are sure."

Sheila brushed back the wild strands of her hair from her face and worked her hair loose from its holding. She shook her blonde hair out around her shoulders and then moved to bind it again. Palo watched her as she twisted her hair up into a tidy bun.

Sheila had turned away from him, embarrassed by the fact that he had saw her cry like a child. That and she was certain no one looked pretty when they cried. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked back at Palo who was staring at her, his hand now lingering under her neck.

"Your mane is lovely." Palo said. It was an unexpected compliment, but sweet. She smiled up at him.

"Thanks." Sheila said honestly. "And thank you for saving me. I'll be more careful next time."

He removed his hand but smiled at her in his alien way, "I will tell you a secret if you promise me something." He said suddenly and she turned to look at him, puzzled, but intrigued.

Sheila gave him a wry smile, sniffling away the last of her tears, "So...what is the promise?"

Palo moved closer and she felt a shiver go down her spine, like electricity, as he regarded her with his alien gaze. Sangheili had this deep way of looking at someone. There was this feeling of being read, searched.

"Promise me." His voice was a rich influx of warmth, "You will not use this against my kind."

Sheila cocked an eyebrow, and her lips peeled back from her teeth in a grin, "So, what is the big secret."

Palo sauntered forward, and she was surprised at how well he seemed to move with only a few steps. Once again Sheila imagined him with less armor and felt her heart begin to pick up pace yet again. _Perverted mind…_

He reached out with his hand. Sheila did not move or even breathe when she felt him brush by her neck. His two long fingers spread out to receive the bundle of hair at the back of her head.

Then he bowed his head, his eyes meeting hers for several seconds before he curved his neck to bath her ear in the gust of his breath, "Sangheili males appreciate..." His voice was an almost sinful sweetness and she trembled in the heat of it as his mandible brushed her ear lightly, "This color. It is like you wear the sun on your shoulders." She felt it then, a small ring of blonde hair bounce free from his grasp to sweep her neck.

He heart picked up beat, air catching between her teeth. An uncertain yearning.

And with that breathy dialogue, he pulled back and began walking away. She could definitely see it now, that tilt in his legs. The sly bastard, he knew how to play this kind of game. Sheila sucked in a deep breath as she followed him, once again eyeing the way his ebony body suit hugged the curve of his ass and wondered if she was slowly going insane for wanting to squeeze it with both hands.

She smiled when she imagined his reaction, his surprise, and her heart beat in her throat when she imagined a more assertive response from his end.

 _Mind on the mission…_

00oo00oo00oo00

Nina was pissed. It wasn't her fault. It was all on them. She wanted to find whoever decided this grouping was a good idea and smack their head against a wall.

Or possibly one of the many large-ass trees in this forsaken jungle that two of her sangheili companions were currently duking it out against.

There was a roar and a gnashing of mandibles as the equally sized and equally enraged alien threw his weight against the other.

The one other human group member, of course, was a short cowardly man, who for the life of her, she couldn't fathom how he decided that enlisting in the damn military was a good life investment for him.

"What d-do we do?" The man quivered, and Nina had the mind to smack him upside the head. He had not only flirted terribly, and I mean terribly, the moment the simulation started, he also was so green, he apparently hadn't realized his gun had a safety lock on it.

She had almost gotten one-shotted by a damn jackal because the moron hadn't checked his gun at the first wave.

"We?" Nina snapped, "What are you going to do?"

The man gave her a helpless look and they turned to watch the battle of the two aliens once again. It had started with an exchange of words in an alien tongue, translators bugged, which Nina thought was a bit lame, as this was supposed to be a team effort, before fists started flying.

Nina was usually a bit shy around such large and dangerous looking aliens, but after realizing that they were just big stupid males with testosterone issues, she decided to treat them like the rest of the male population when they were being unreasonable.

"Hey, you two morons!" The woman screamed, waving her arms as they continued ramming into each other. "This is not a big dick contest! You're in a fucking group you bastards!"

The man, Kevin Hans, just looked traumatized as the two titans looked towards them. He, of course, chose to hide behind the much smaller form of Nina, who looked larger only because she was waving her arms around like a pinwheel.

The one sangheili reached her first, and towered over her short stature with his dominant height. His sleek body, colored like molasses, was taut with muscle, easily visible even with the plates of armor over his chest, shoulder, and legs.

"Woman." He bellowed out, rage contorting with his mandibles, "You insult my father with your insolent mouth."

Nina felt spittle hit her cheek and in disgust and fierce rebuttal, she pushed into the shadow he cast, glaring up at him with gritted teeth, "Listen you fat headed cretin. Like hell I'm going to be graded like shit because of you and shovel face."

The other sangheili rounded on her, having heard her insult tossed casually his way. He was a bit flatter in the nose than the other sangheili she had seen, but made up for it with a fierce toothy visage that betrayed lines of jagged yellow teeth.

"Human bitch." The other sangheili hissed, mandibles flaring, "Our contest does not involve you."

"What did you call me?" The woman hissed back, her pearl teeth flashing with the rage in her eyes, "Covie piece of shit."

"You dare-!"

Suddenly the world was cut off in a brilliant flash of bright light and she was pulled out of the darkness roughly by a snarling voice in her ear and a grip on her shoulder.

Nina squawked and fell gracelessly as she dropped to the tile floor. She hurriedly looked up to tell off the jerk who had grabbed her and thrown her like trash, but shut her mouth before she could make the error.

Major Merico glared down at her, the furrows in his forehead dark trenches, and his teeth ugly gritted cubes, "Private Scott, you are assigned to your room the rest of the day, and you've failed the exam."

"What!?" Nina reached her feet, ignoring the other voices complaining around her as each of her 'team' members were brought out of simulation. "That's not fair!"

"You should be ashamed of your childish behavior." He continued, "Your words could sabotage a relationship we have built decades fostering."

Nina gaped at him, "What? Seriously? I mentioned the covenant and these two morons are having a punching contest and they get the slap on the wrist? Are you fucking joking?"

"You're walking a thin line Private." Merico said, teeth bared. "I'd think carefully before you utter another word."

"May I intercede, Major?" The voice is male, confident. Nina can already paint a picture of the guy in her head before she even turns to acknowledge the speaker. He sounds smooth, handsome, maybe past his thirties…arrogant. Nina looks towards him and her jaw flaps open.

He is not what she expected. Even as she stares in numb disbelief, she can hear the sangheili imbeciles near her drop to one knee.

"Shipmaster Voss." Shovel face's voice sounds pathetic, and that only makes Nina nervous. She was afraid of the sangheili yesterday, because it had been her first interaction with their kind, and now she was all on edge again, because this particular sangheili was not a grunt.

And she wasn't sure how great her health would be if she insulted a sangheili with actual status, especially since Merico seemed eager to rip her a new one just for _mentioning_ the covenant.

The other sangheili who was on her team, Gardo something or another, reacted similarly to his flat faced brother, but his head bowed, mandibles splayed and one fist over a slightly trembling chest. He looked…terrified.

Nina was certainly more nervous when she took in the Shipmaster in all his alien glory, and swallowed hard as he met her gaze with his fiery one.

For one thing, he was massive. She had to check the others at her side to be sure, but he had at least twenty pounds of muscle on these soldiers and was positively decked in armor that made him look more imposing with the added bulk.

His armor gleamed like gold, and was shades of both gold and silver. Geometric figures made up the texture but there was also some alien looking glyphs printed across the sleek arced helmet and leg guards.

The flesh under the armor, mostly seen on the neck, was a silvery kind of gray that complimented the shine of his armor. He looked like some sort of sangheili war god that had descended from the heavens.

Nina gulped as he took a step forward, casting a very dark shadow in contrast to his light colored visage. "Private Nina Noel Scott?" The sangheili said smoothly, and she flinched when he rolled out her middle name. Had he read her file?

"Yes sir, no, I mean, Shipmaster…" Nina said helplessly. She wrung out her hands, playing with the ring around her pinky finger. This would not end well. She would be at the very least, forced to scrub toilets for the next eight months.

"Calm yourself, sir is fine." She was surprised at the lightness in his voice. He had this casual tone to it, as if he was truly unconcerned by the trouble. Certainly a bold contrast to Merico who was a frigid ass.

"Shipmaster." Flat-face, err, Muda, spoke up, "This woman insults you, no, she insults all of us, and you would treat her softly?"

Now the noble looking sangheili turned with a fierce glower to the sangheili who Nina now realized has spoken out of turn, "Softly? Do you question my will _minor_?" Nina couldn't help but grin at the bite in his tone. He had called her a bitch, so it was nice to see him get lashed out at by a sangheili high-ranking enough to probably do a lot of bad things to not just his record…

Muda made a choking sound and cried something sharp out that her translator can't register. She made a face when a garbled hissing takes residence in her right ear. These things were in desperate need of an upgrade.

The shipmaster turned pointedly to glare at the disgraced sangheili, "You two pups are dismissed to your quarters. I will speak with Major Dineen to discuss your inadequacies. This will not be the last time we speak, I assure you."

"Shipmaster."  
"Yes, Shipmaster."

Nina watched, feeling smug, as they scurried away, which was an uncharacteristically hilarious movement for a sangheili to make. She didn't feel sorry for them, they _had_ started it.

"Private Scott?" Oh crap. Nina looked back at the shipmaster who was regarding her with eyes the color of Venus and just as bright, "I apologize for my men's behavior. They will be punished."

What? Oh. Nina couldn't help but smile with her lips. Take that Merico. One glance at the man made her smile wider. He looked pissed that he wasn't going to get his way this time. "Thank you Shipmaster." She said sincerely, flashing him a quick smile with the white of her teeth.

The sangheili made a noise like he was inhaling and his mandibles folded in on themselves. Nina recognized this much as a smile, having overheard men talking about alien facial expressions during lunch one day.

"However." Uh oh. "You would do well to remember that our empire is no longer aligned with the interests of the remaining covenant. Your words are senseless, and damaging." This last word he spoke with a grimmer tone.

Nina looked down, away from the intensity of his gaze and at her boots. "I-I apologize sir."

"Look at the shipmaster when he is speaking to you." Merico barked from her right and Nina jumped, turning her gaze back to the sangheili.

To her relief, the alien merely looked amused and cast a stern look at Merico. "Will you excuse us Major? I wish to speak to Miss Scott alone."

"I-I." The major looked flustered and Nina hid a smile as he stood there, stunned. "Yes. Of course." Merico turned to glare at her a final time before calling back at Private Kevin Hans to follow as he made a stiff exit.

Soon it was just the two of them, in a massive room with only the occupants still partaking in the simulation behind rows of closed doors. Nina then remembered that she had officially failed this exam, and tried to hide the disappointment in her expression.

"To be honest by my actions, I have a selfish reason for wishing to speak with you alone." The shipmaster said suddenly and Nina looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" Nina was undeniably nervous. She didn't know what this alien wanted from her. Heck, she was talking to him alone. She was always a bit nervous around Merico and his prickly ass, but being alone with a shipmaster was a bit…scary. I mean, he is the commander of a huge frigate and has command over a legion of sangheili…

"Over the years, the majority of our empire have decided that with peace comes cooperation. On both sides." Shipmaster Voss starts. "We have given you your ship, Imperium, aid by our technology, sangheili troops to train alongside you, but it is not enough. I can see that there is still some disseverance."

"Sir?" Nina said meekly. Just where was he going with this? There was this gleam to his eyes that was starting to make her nervous…as if he was eyeing her like some piece of meat.

Suddenly the alien stepped forward and Nina froze as her gaze settled on his armored chest, the shine easily reflecting her startled expression back at her, "We do not have women on my ship, but I hope that will not dissuade you."

"What are you asking?"

"Private Scott, would you willingly transfer under my command?"

Time froze. Nina froze with it. She stared at him, the words still in her ears. "Excuse me? I mean, could y-you elaborate?"

"It would be my pleasure to have you on _Sublime Justice_." The shipmaster's hand somehow found its way to her shoulder and she felt dizzy with the weight of his request and his digits. "I will not force you to accept my request, but if you would consider it, I will make your stay comfortable." Nina swore she could feel his fingers clench onto her for a moment, but perhaps it was in her head. What was she supposed to say?

Was she really allowed to deny a shipmaster?

Nina swallowed, her mouth feeling dry, like someone had jammed it full of cotton. "I-I. I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. What…what would you want of me?"

The sangheili smiled down at her, and removed the hand from her shoulder. He made a shrugging motion with his mandibles, "Honestly, you would not be expected to train with my men, as there would be no point. You are not as gifted as your dem- _Spartans._ " He corrected himself fluidly and Nina sucked in a rapid breath as his bright eyes stole her own with their intensity. "It would be most unfair."

"You don't want me to train, so you want me to…" Nina finished, letting the sentence hang into a question. She was lost to what this alien wanted. This shipmaster, heck, this really huge sangheili warrior…wanted something from her. It was the most random thing to ever happen to her. It was just bizarre.

His hand found her own and she flinched as he curled his fingers around her tiny hand. He didn't release her, but he spoke softly, quieting her concerns, "I will not hurt you. I would not dream of it. I only ask for your participation."

This is crazy. "I…I have friends here. Relatives." Nina swallowed. She did have a third cousin on this ship somewhere. "And to be frank, I've not been around many of your…people."

"You are afraid?" Shipmaster Voss asked, almost a murmur.

"No." Nina said quickly, though she was unsure if it was honest. She was just trying not to insult anyone, especially someone as highly ranked as he. "I just…don't know."

"Then Nina." His voice played with her name, drawing out the Ni. "I will await your response. We will be off in four of your hours. This visit was only a formality."

"Before we part, I can promise you something." The sangheili bent down then, until they were face to face. Nina felt uncomfortable but refused to look away, even those the reptilian arcs of his eyes were giving her the chills. She was most terrified of snakes, and that is what they reminded her of.

He seemed quite aware of her discomfort and she couldn't help but gasp lightly as his hand brushed her cheek. "You realize now, that you are uncertain of me? You are afraid, but you fear more of disappointing me. Am I correct?"

She couldn't lie, and she felt sure he would know if she did. It was scary how observant this sangheili was, "Yes."

His hand lingered on her cheek before falling away. She took in a short unsteady breath. He made a noise with his nostrils then, his mandibles untucking slightly, "This is why I must have you, or another willing of your kind, to stay with me. If we are to truly understand one another, we must coexist. Do you believe it is fair for _Imperium_ to have sangheili soldiers on her decks, serving your military, while we have nothing of humanity?"

"Don't most sangheili hate humans?" Nina regretted those words as soon as they finished from her lips. She and her assumptions be damned.

"Not all, but of the few…that is why it must be you." His words surprised her, and she met his gaze again. There was something warm in his expression, and she winced as his finger brushed by her ear to move a strand of hair back from her eye. "Sangheili males are too competitive with other males. I was told of an incident that occurred a cycle back and I know your rank were present. If I take a human, it must be a female. A fine woman like yourself."

Nina didn't blush, though she did appreciate the 'fine woman' bit. She had been told many times that she was great, beautiful, sweet, and 'perfect,' by males seeking her company in bed. Nina wasn't shy about her sexuality and had fucked them all with no thought of commitment. She treated intimacy as a casual thing. She had always been this way. It was easier than getting attached.

She was a bit disappointed that the alien didn't come out and say that he wanted her as his whore, but she supposed it was a good thing. Nina had no experience with aliens, and perhaps this transfer would have his perks career wise.

She just wasn't sure how Nancy would survive without her. That girl was always seeking her company, her opinions. She was like the baby sister she had never had.

Sheila and Emilee were big girls, they would get along fine. She knew Emilee was two-faced anyway. She always put on this mask when she was being social, but Nina wasn't stupid. She knew how close the two were, and Emilee was always the one with the opinion. If anyone was calling her a whore behind her back, it was Emilee.

Now that Nina thought about it, maybe it was time to cut ties. Make new friends. Not many humans would get this opportunity…but would they want it? She was trying to weigh the perks but she wasn't even sure what those exactly were. Sure she would impress a shipmaster maybe, represent humanity…heck, get to stay on a huge ass alien ship.

She decided it was time to play it up. Nina had enough of cowering, and this alien obviously knew what he wanted. And if she scared him away, then the decision was already made.

Nina reached out and took the shipmaster's hand. It was an almost desperate looking motion, her tiny hand reaching to grasp one of his large fingers, but he unfolded them and allowed her to place her small digits within his own. She twitched her lips at him in a smirk, gray eyes blinking dark lashes, "So, shipmaster, will I be bunking with you?"

She refused to pull back, even as he bent down, his mandibles opening slightly to reveal sharp white teeth. His bright eyes drew her in like the sun to the earth. Nina felt an excited jolt rush down her spine as he closed his fingers over her hand and stepped forward. She was no xenophile, but there was something sexually appealing about him trapping her in his grip.

His hip closed her in and she naturally stepped forward falling perfectly in his shadow. She discovered his other hand when she felt him brush down the small of her waist to grip her hip in an almost tugging motion. Nina felt a familiar flush of arousal warm her cheeks. She had been called a nymphomaniac in high school by the counselor, that and a trouble child. Nina couldn't help her appetite. She had always sought pleasure, maybe it was because that was all she had besides her brother Nathan. Their parents had been hopeless, they only had each other. He had been the one to urge her to apply to the UNSC. Set her on a steady career path—out of trouble.

"If you would share it with me." The shipmaster said smoothly, and she gasped lightly as his hand swept down from her hip to dip between her legs. The dog. He was fearless, bold, and _dirty_. Nina grinned as he made a growling noise under his breath. Men were all animals to her, she was not afraid. It merely satisfied her ego. She had a way of driving out the animal to play.

"Yes." Nina didn't think. She didn't have to. She spoke from the heat of her being, the arousal pooling in her core. It was an impulse, and one she felt certain she would not regret. Nina was tired of following the rules, lately her mind had been full of reflections about her life, and her purpose. She was exhausted with trying to decide on how to live her life when she could just be living. Nina loved dirty mindless fucking. There was so much you could learn about someone just by getting them naked.

And Nina was looking forward to learning all she could about sangheili anatomy.

It was good to be fearless.

She smiled with her teeth as shipmaster Voss led her away, her hand firmly gripped in his.

00oo00oo00oo00

 **Nancy Dodger: 16 hours earlier**

She breathed out softly as she felt his hands brush down her hips. They were soft, leathery, and warm. The woman never let anyone get this close, not before, and yet here they were.

Nancy felt his breath on her neck and bit her lip gently as she felt him grasp lightly at the skin there with his mouth. The sharpest of his teeth were at the top, and he was gentle as he could be with her. They had only really nicked her once, and that was when had gotten carried away with her ear.

"Are you sure you want this?" She can feel tears burn even as they blur and slip from her vision. He asks. It's all the world for her that he just does this. Nancy had always imagined having that one special man in her life, and she was always met with disappointment in the past.

A father who could never keep his promises and a mother raising a daughter, swearing that there was that perfect someone for everyone. She could never find that one someone. Every man she met, she could never truly connect to.

What if he was never supposed to be human? Souls were what truly mattered right? The body was merely a shell.

Nancy bit back a gasp as her lover brushed a hand over her bare bottom. They were in his quarters. Sangheili were allowed large private rooms, better to equip their size. It was more than enough for her, for the both of them.

"Little female." His voice is sweet, darkly smooth in her ear. She trembled as he possessively stroked one hand across the small of her back and down her buttocks. She's sensitive everywhere. Every part of her was screaming for release. There's this stirring in her groin, like a cord tightening.

Nancy hadn't known what to expect when Palo had asked to speak with her alone. Then he had stolen her away in a dark corner of a janitorial room and confessed his interest in her. Somehow he had heard about her reservations with males, and found a unique opportunity present itself.

He was bold, romantic, assertive…being with him was dizzying, a whirl of confusion, but fun. Nancy had never felt this way about anyone before. She wanted him.

Nancy wanted him _badly_. With each beat of her rapidly thundering heart, with each pulse of her sex. She should have been terrified of how easily he dragged her in, lured her in with sweet promises, endearing compliments.

It had barely been two hours and she already wanted him hammering away at her.

She felt the urge to give him everything. Ever part of her, until she had her release.

"Palo." She moaned as his hand cupped her sex again. She could feel her wetness clinging to his palm.

"Nancy." Her name sounded like sex in his deep voice, and she clung to each word. "I hate to tease you, but your softness is enjoyable."

His hand swept out from her buttocks to draw down her thigh. Nancy breathed out, shuddering, as he pulled her back to sit on his leg. She was completely naked and at his mercy, yet again.

The bathroom had been too risky. She had allowed him to do what he would with her, only until she had heard footsteps in the hall, then she had panicked and very nearly crashed headfirst onto the floor. Of course, Palo had caught her easily and he had insisted he 'attend to her' in his room.

She didn't know why she was doing this. It was insane. But maybe she was tired of being the reserved one, the cowardly one. Her virginity was already front page news, maybe she was just weary of being made a fool of. The odd one out. There wasn't much risk in having sex with a sangheili anyway, it wasn't like he could impregnate her.

There was also something sexy and dangerous about being touched so intimately by an alien. He was bigger than any of her males, they paled in comparison to Palo. He was tall, lean, and sleekly muscled. His skin was flawless and smooth everywhere but his hands, and his wrinkled hands were soft and warm. He sounded and looked dangerous, but he also felt _safe._

There was something about being with such a powerful male, and his attraction to her only made her feel special. An alien male found her attractive, he found her desirable. Every time he spoke her name, she felt certain of his lust.

And that of her own.

He was so big…that was her only hesitation. Would he hurt her more than one of her own kind? Nancy rolled the top of her lip with her front teeth. She wasn't sure. She was beginning to feel nervous again.

Then he hesitated and she looked up at him with wide eyes, unsure of his stillness. His mandibles seemed to slacken for a moment and then he made a sound like a sigh. He began to straighten and gently lifted her up.

Nancy frowned as she felt both of her feet touch ground, looking up at him…rejected, hurt. Why the change of heart? Did he hear the uncertainty of her own heart? Now that he was moving away though, Nancy felt almost panicked.

Tears bit the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill, "What's wrong?" Her voice cracked and she winced as he lifted a hand. She relaxed when she felt his hand stroke her cheek gently, his long fingers brushing back a spill of soft hair that had come lose from her pins.

"I don't want to spoil you." The sangheili said, his tone one of regret, "You are a beautiful creature, and you deserve better."

"Better? Better than what? You?" Nancy's voice rose a bit, almost hysteric. There was only so much she could take. It wasn't even his fault. She was far too sensitive for her own good, "I don't want anyone else. I want you."

His hand lingered on her face, too-large, but a gentle warmth. She could feel the rumble of his twin hearts in the pulse of his veins. Like two war drums.

"Are virgins valued among your race?" Palo asked.

Nancy paused before answering, a small tear spilling unwillingly to become trapped in the swell of his thumb, "I've been mocked for it. Like something is wrong with me. I've just never…no man…no one wants me."

He forced her head up to meet his gaze then, and she swallows at the intensity of him, "That is a lie." He says forcefully, "I see the way human males watch you. You are lovely, soft, sweet."

He says the last word while gently rolling his fingers over her cheekbone, and Nancy feels her heart began to pulse in her chest to each stroke, "I'm just…I don't want them. I've always looked for him, the one, the man I'm supposed to be with. I've just never found him."

The sangheili chuckles, "Am I to be your fated one?"

The last words come softly, almost unheard under the thrum of a shared heartbeat, "Maybe."

His eyes draw her in again, this time one hand bringing her to face him, the other drawing her close at the hip. Nancy gasped lightly at the sensation of his warm fingers gently sweeping the curve of her buttocks.

"If that is the case, then we will take this slowly." The male rumbles warmly, stroking her hip with one thumb. "I will take so much pleasure from you. Seeing you writhe beneath me." His voice deepens and she feels a twitch of arousal.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Palo asked her again. His fingers are now actively stroking the curve of her ass. She felt heat in her cheeks as her arousal peaked again.

Nancy swallowed the dryness in her mouth. Blue eyes met twin reptilian arcs in a deep amber pool.

"Fuck me Palo. Please."

00oo00oo00oo00

It had escalated, absurdly. Teasing became light touches, and light touches, firm grips. The sangheili shipmaster had been eager to show her to her…no, their room.

Then the unexpected had happened.

Nina had let out a thin shriek as she felt a force wrap around both hips and toss her forward. The short female was delighted and relieved when she only bounced on the thick bed, landing on hands and knees.

Suddenly, far too quickly, enough that she began to feel nervous, a shadow began to envelop her form.

"If I am to be honest, I quite enjoy this view." The sangheili's voice was teasing, but with a huskiness in the tone that betrayed his own desire.

She shot right back at him, keeping her ass firmly in his view, she only regarded him with a slight turn of her chin, "Looks even better without the pants."

At her daring she let out a squeak as she felt his hand lightly smack her across the bottom. Dirty aliens.

Her nerves began acting up again as the much bigger alien began to distribute his weight on the mattress. She could feel her weight bounce against the bed at his movement, only his suddenly growing weight on her back, keeping her from toppling over.

Nina swallowed as she felt her ass brush against his firm abdomen. He had already removed his chest plate and she faintly wondered how much of his armor he was still wearing, if any. If someone had told her that today she would be getting spread out across an alien's bed, doggy style, she would have laughed in their faces.

Now she felt only an urgency to feel more of him brush against every erogenous zone on her body. Currently he was doing a great job with her ass. She could feel him take his sweet time as he moved over her, dipping down to brush the swell of his muscles over her rump slowly, purposefully.

She was steeped in arousal, her cheeks burned with the fire of it. Nina uttered a soft quaking breath as he increased his weight, still brushing against her backside appealingly. The fucker knew what he was doing. Nina was getting the point where she imagined him dry humping her furiously, with that being almost enough to get her off.

"Bastard." She hissed under her breath. The sangheili stilled for a moment, and then she quaked again as she felt him clap a hand across her ass, hard.

"Whore." He retorted, and she stiffened.

Nina moved against him hard, in a bucking motion, which only made her hornier by the fact that she was making him hump her with the backward movement of her hips, "Screw you."

"I plan on it." The sangheili laughed gruffly, sounding smug with himself, "If I wasn't so used to humans, I would have made you pay with your mouth. You really are quite naïve female."

"How so?"

"That word is a heavy insult, at least to sangheili. We place a lot of values in family, in patriarchy."

Nina froze. Of course. "I'm sorry." She sat down on the bed, knees splayed at her sides, staring at the intricate threading on one of his pillows. She just couldn't keep her mouth shut when it mattered, could she?

"Don't worry." His voice was a low croon in her ear, and she gasped lightly as he flipped her back onto her hands, and moved over her again, this time placing his pelvis over the curve of her butt, "I'm sure you can make it up to me."

Nina felt her breathe come out in heady gasps. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. She could smell the musk of her arousal, even though she wasn't even naked yet. She could feel herself practically dripping with need as he began to…damn it all, do the one thing she was certain would drive her into orgasm faster than anything else.

The woman moaned lightly as she felt him began to move against her. No armor. He was in that sleek under suit that sangheili favored, the only difference was the bump between his hips that she felt sliding against her ass. She was overdressed for this, most definitely.

"You're shaped to fit." Voss laughed, moving even harder against her rump, humping her like a dog in heat, "I could hide you in my shadow."

Nina could only pant lightly as he her she felt arousal thunder in her groin like its own heartbeat. Damn alien. He didn't seem to be out of breath whatsoever, but she had already began to fall apart at the seams. Seams. These clothes need to come off _now._

"Stop." She moaned. Nina felt a tinge of regret as he did just that. It was necessary though. The woman rolled onto her back to look up at the smug expression on his face.

"Too much for you female?" The sangheili shook the bed lightly with his rumbling laughter, and she swallowed as he drew a silver hand down her thigh, which was not bare enough to feel what she wanted.

"Shut up." She hissed through her breath, too distracted to feel anxious about telling a high ranking sangheili to zip his pie hole, "T-these clothes. Need." She fought with her shoes, "to come off."

He moved back to allow her room, and soon she was slipping her pants down her hips, her panties threatening to roll down with them, malleable from the heat. She hadn't planned on being naked this fast, but said the hell with it after struggling to remove the rolling material of her underwear against her thigh, opting instead to just throw it in with the pants.

Soon she was completely naked but for the black bra that was threatening to spill out her breasts with every heavy breath she took.

"So round." She felt a bit embarrassed as the alien patted the mounds of her breasts gently with one hand, "And I was impressed by your backend. Do your males enjoy these?"

Nina fought back another breathy moan as his palm swept over the nipple of her left breast in his exploration of her, "Y-yes."

"Are you ready for me?" He asked, and she trembled slightly as the growl in his voice. This was turning her on much more than it should.

Another yes.

Soon they were back in the earlier position, Nina on her hands and knees, rump in the air, and a sangheili eagerly brushing up against her.

He didn't have to remove his suit, instead she had watched as he had undone a portion of his suit folded over at the groin, revealing a slit in the material. Of course, males in full armor had to relieve themselves in battle as well…

The only thing Nina was regretting now was that she had no idea what his dick even looked like. He had been far too eager to push her back into position for her to see it reveal itself. Sangheili males kept their reproductive organs inside until they were ready for use, and now she could feel it began to emerge against her as he began to hump her again.

Nina wasn't used to doggy style sex, she usually had it missionary or 'cowgirl' style. She enjoyed watching her partner as they both came into orgasm, however, there was something immensely satisfying about being rode like an animal by something so…alien. It only made her feel more savagely horny as he began to growl lightly as his cock began to unsheathe against her ass.

Nina panted lightly as she felt him drop against her cheeks, hot, wet, and heavy. This was almost too much. She felt dizzy with the intensity of her heartbeat as she began to approach an orgasm. She fought the urge to buck into him hard, feeling more and more impatient with each pulse of her sex.

She felt Voss bend forward, and she could feel his hot breath awash one cheek, "Are you ready for me female?" He sounded positively villainous and she could feel fingers just as naughty began to play under her belly to sweep against the curve of her sex.

 _Sweet stars save me._

Nina gasped as he leaned over her again, "Y-yes." Her voice quivered, almost in a whimper, "Please."

She felt one leathery hand brush over her right hip, only to clasp all his fingers around it. The other arm stretched out to balance his body against the bed. Nina felt a throb in her sex as his weight was distributed over her head again, his hot breath washing over her neck and sending strands of her hair flying around her brow.

She felt it then, a slight taper, but then a round wet heat as he pressed forward. Nina gripped the sheets under her tightly as he began to penetrate her with a bit of force on his part.

"Gods, you're tight." The male grunted as she released a hot breathy moan at his continued intrusion.

She wasn't sure if he was going to fit. Nina imagined this would be a lot harder if she hadn't been so sexually active in the past. No male of course, came close to his girth.

Luckily he wasn't quite as long as she imagined he would be, and accustomed to his girth as he slid bodily the rest of the way in. In doing so, she felt something roll across her clit thickly.

He was ribbed. Like one of those dildos with the extra texture.

Nina couldn't hold back a soft sigh and a ring of pleasure called out from her nether regions as he corrected his posture. Damn, this was going to be a good day after all.

With no warning he began moving against her, and within her. Nina was already spluttering and contorting as he began fucking her steadily. She was sliding against his length with every movement emphasized by a wet smack each time he moved forward into her again and again and again.

Her heart hammered in her chest in a desperate dance, and her fingers writhed and squeezed against the bed sheets. Nina felt her breathe come out in ragged gasps as he began increasing his thrusts.

"Oh, fuck!" She howled as she felt her sex contort against him. The sangheili payed her no heed, continuing to slam into her like the dog, grunting and growling into her hair, her hair dampening with each moist breath he released at her neck.

In and out he pulled and pushed her with his body, his hands increasing pressure at her hips as he brushed against her ass with each thick thrust of his sex.

It was all too much. Her face was now pressed up against the sheets, her ass in the air, the sangheili continuing to pound her into oblivion. She could feet wetness escaping down her thighs with each wet splotch as his cock rammed into her.

And sweet oblivion it was. She felt a wave crash over her, her heart seized up, and an impassioned cry escaped her lips as she came around him in a hot grip, squeezing him violently as her mind was lost in a white canvas of pleasure.

It was a very good day, she decided, as at this same moment, her alien lover came himself in a thick jet within her. It was all too much, again, as she felt his spent seed dripping from her equally spent sex, hot trickles of their combined juices streaming down her ass.

He released her and she flopped onto her side, and found her eyes looking for her partner. He was still leaning over her and her eyes moved from his shining eyes, crescents dilated from his lust, and to his member.

It was glistening with their release, and was a distinctly a blue-gray color with a rounded head and barely a taper with ridges angled down his length.

She watched him with wide eyes as he moved one hand to his cock, his two fingers sweeping across its length lightly. The member seemed to straighten a bit in response, and she realized he had been retreating back into his sheath.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" He asked her, his voice an almost sinful purr.

Nina felt her face flush hotly, feeling all too aware of her nude and dirty state after the pleasure had ran from her mind. What would happen now? Would he brag about how he had lain the human whore out and dominated her only to send her back to her own captain in shame?

Nina wasn't sure she could bare it. She carefully moved to a sitting position, sliding her butt back until she was against the wall, "Yes." She said truthfully. The sex _had_ been excellent.

"I am glad." His voice was almost kind, and she looked up, hopeful.

"It's been a while for me." She all but stammered, "I-." She pressed her arm back behind her head, feeling uncomfortable.

"There is no shame in this." The shipmaster's chest rumbled with his laughter, "You humans are far too prudish for your own good. There is a time for pleasure and a time for business."

"You called me a whore." She challenged, smirking up at him.

He tucked in his mandibles, "You called me a bastard."

She laughed in response, watching as his eyes ran over her nude form.

"I believe it is time to introduce you to the others."

Nina looked at him in horror, "Like this?"  
His mandibles splayed out with a sound like a chuckle "My dear, what do you think of me? A monster? I'm not planning on throwing you out to the crew. Did you bring a change of clothes?"

"Y-yes." She laughed, feeling sheepish, "They are still on the first level…I kind of-"  
He straightened up and moved off the bed and began adjusting himself. She found that his cock had already retreated into the puckered slit at his groin, though the area still shone wetly, "I'll return with your things. You may clean yourself in the back room. There is a sink, but please do not use the oil, it will give you an unpleasant rash."

"Thank you." Nina said, and she meant it. He really was going to be a gentlemen about this. It was almost staggering to her. There weren't many human males who would give their energy for her own comfort after taking pleasure. This situation…was new for her.

She could get used to this. When he left her alone she splayed back onto his bed and smiled up at the geometric tiles above, her eyes following the sparkles of blue energy sifting between the lines.

It had been a while since she had been allowed a real vacation.

She faintly wondered what fetishes sangheili males had, and grinned as her imagination began to play.

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS. Today I received my computer parts, as this chapter was trapped on an inactive comp…and finally accessed and edited the last page of Shades ch3…you're welcome. XD**

 **This is my gift to you, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know I promised more smut, but I sped things up a bit to get enough in here, at least for now. Hope it was good. I'm planning on exploring more, obviously, so look forward to it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Emilee stared at her for a long moment. Nancy repeated herself, her voice cracking.

Emilee wasn't usually the one to be surprised, but this was unexpected. "Wait, can we even do that?" The idea was crazy, yet, it was true from what she had just heard.

Nancy nodded slowly, biting her lip, looking every much as unhappy as she probably felt. Nancy had went looking for Nina after their combat test, because she was unable to find her, which was unusual, as they usually met up after drills. In talking with a soldier who had been in the simulation test with Nina, Nancy had been floored by news that the woman had apparently been reassigned to a sangheili war ship, and would no longer be around for the unforeseeable future. He had insisted that Merico had been alright with the decision.

It was unbelievable, especially to Nancy. Surely Nina would have dropped by her room to say goodbye? It didn't make sense.

It had been a surprisingly visit regardless of the circumstances. Everyone had gathered in a sizable crowd to look out the viewing port windows. The so called 'corvette' was a shining instrument of death. It was sleek, vividly purple, and stood out brilliantly against the backdrop of stars. It was stunning and utterly alien. Like nothing Emilee had ever seen before and she had gawked at it for a long time before they had been herded away to afternoon drills.

The sangheili made it a habit to check in on their soldiers, the ones of their own kind serving on Imperium. Most likely it was also a courtesy. Both races were working together now after fighting for so many long years. It was the best anyone could hope for.

This recent news about Nina was a big deal, and not just for the few of them, but for everyone. It was just something that didn't seem to happen very often. A human being admitted onto a sangheili war ship? It was shocking. They had let their sangheili enlist on Imperium, as a show of cooperation with the UNSC, but no one had heard of a human soldier stationed on a sangheili ship. Nina wasn't an envoy, she was a private who was now, apparently, playing on both sides.

Emilee knew that somehow she would just fuck this thing up. Nina, of everyone on Imperium? It was baffling. How could this happen? Not that she was interested in being ostracized on a sangheili frigate…did they even have the proper supplies a human woman would need on board?

Nancy had been shocked as well. And overly tearful. She loved Nina, as she would love a sister. Nina had stood up for her when ugly rumors had surfaced, and when people had sought to emotionally compromise her.

It had started with harassment by males, mostly verbal, and teasing by other girls, some of which ended with her fleeing to the bathroom in tears. Some people found her there too, mocked her outbursts, and more gossip had started. People began asking her why she was even in the UNSC, why they would want a lightweight cry baby as a soldier, and why she didn't just run home to mommy.

They didn't understand her heart though, why Nancy chose to enlist, and chose to fight. It was very personal and they had no right to assume anything about her. It was her business…but Nancy hadn't been able to stop them from speaking freely amongst themselves. She hadn't been strong enough to stand up for herself.

Nina hadn't stood idly by, she had taken action and fought for her, fighting with sharp words and barely veiled threats. No one was willing to stand against Nina. Nina was firm and unyielding. Strong and supportive. She felt as if she could talk to Nina about anything. There was no fear. Nina was the best at keeping secrets, and being a true friend when it counted the most.

"I don't know why she's doing this." Nancy couldn't hide a sniffle, and Emilee sighed when she saw the pink of Nancy's nose and the puffiness around her eyes. She was obviously pretty upset over this. Emilee wasn't sure how she felt about Nina leaving. They hadn't always gotten along well, but she hated seeing Nancy so upset over the news.

"Some sort of exchange program thing, I guess." Emilee suggested, rearranging the bun on her head with a quick twist of hair, "She'll probably be fine."

Nancy breathed in through her nose wetly, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand, and Emilee watched as she stretched both arms over her head and then dropped them slowly. Another exhalation. Curiously, Nancy didn't seem quite so tense and she met Emilee's gaze again with a renewed brightness in her blue eyes.

"I-I've got to go talk to the commander." Nancy said decisively, "I can't let her go alone."

Emilee's brows popped up on her forehead, and she frowned, "Wait, you're not seriously considering a transfer, are you?" Was everyone here going mad?

Nancy turned to face her slowly, drawing in a short but deep breath. She released it quickly, "Listen, Emi. I love you, I love Sheila, but Nina doesn't have anyone but me. I can't let her stay on a ship full of strangers. Most of them will probably not even make the effort to be friends. She'll be trapped with no one to talk to, no one to understand when she's feeling sad or hurt."

Emilee's mouth twisted sharply into a scowl, forehead furrowed. Of course. Fucking Nina.

She was all emotions currently, and this didn't sit well with her. She felt sudden tension at her neck and moved an arm to aggressively rub at the muscles there. She couldn't help it, she was upset. "So, this is it? You're just going to run off and leave your other friends? You won't last five minutes on a ship full of aliens. Nina is a grown ass woman, she doesn't _need_ anyone."

"I need her!" Nancy almost shrieked, tears springing, and Emilee lurched back. She didn't expect anger, and the fire in Nancy's eyes was uncharacteristic of the woman, but very real, "You are just like everyone else." Nancy continued breathlessly, eyes burning with unshed tears, "I'm not some daft little coward, and I don't need you. Ok? I don't!" Nancy sucked in a ragged breath. "Nina stood up for me when no one else would. You all just thought it was a joke, you don't understand. You never tried to understand."

"Listen." Emilee held up both hands in surrender, trying to appease the distraught girl. Nancy turned her back on this gesture, trying to hide the tears now slipping down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Nancy. I should have spoken up about it," Emily pleaded, "but we do care about you. It wouldn't be the same with you gone." Damn it. _Is this happening right now?_ Really?

Nancy faced the other woman again, dark lines etched against her pale face, eyes shining with unshed tears. There was some determination expressed however in the sharp downward arc of her mouth, the set of her brows and the ice in her voice, "I'm going. You and Sheila have each other, Nina needs me. A good friend wouldn't let her go off alone. It's the right thing to do." She swept the white of her hand over her cheeks, wiping away tear stains with quiet sniffles. "I'm sorry."

Nancy jumped, startled, as Emilee smacked her hand against the wall they had been standing next to. A small poster slipped to the ground crisply from a nearby bulletin board. Nancy slowly stepped aside so she wouldn't step on it, and her eyes met Emilee's. Emilee's hazel eyes were narrowed, her lips a sharp line. Nancy looked away but said nothing.

"You." Not cold, but wavering. Unsteady. Emilee's face was contorted with her emotions. She breathed in again, quickly, and gathered her voice, "You go on and do that. Go ahead and leave." She gave Nancy a look that was both furious and sad, brows furrowed together over eyes that sparked with emotion.

They both did just that.

Both women left the hall, and in opposite directions. Neither one spared a glance behind them. Nancy felt as if a weight was falling from her chest. She felt set free by her sudden determination. She walked quickly in the direction of the administration office, boots tapping distinctly against the metal floor, feeling very much in control of her own destiny. As she walked further way, even as Nancy began to feel her heart twist and knot in her chest, she did not stop. One day she would see Emilee again, and maybe she would understand that although this was hard for everyone, it was the right thing to do.

Emilee had walked off with an ugly scowl, but as she neared her room, her face had fallen into a sad wrinkle, tears rolling past her nose tickling it frustratingly. She knew it was her damn menstrual period making her so emotional. It was either snapping for little to no good reason or getting emotional about even the dumbest things.

The woman found her room, entered quickly, and closed the door. She didn't bother turning on the lights. Emilee felt for the bars to the top bunk and lifted herself up and curled around a pillow across her mattress. She closed her eyes and breathed in the clean scent of her sheets. It was dark and quiet. If only her mind could be just as dead to her thoughts.

She tried to clear her mind, tried to feel only the blankets around her, even to listen to the light thrumming sound of the conditioning element…but it was hard. All she could think of, all she could see, was the look on Nancy's face. Accusatory, frustrated, sad. Had she truly been a bad friend?

Emilee smacked her fist against the mattress. The woman lay there for a long time, curled up in her bed, trying to bury her head into her pillow, twisting in sheets that were becoming like snakes she wanted to tear into ribbons. She was going to have to make her bed again. There was no winning on this damn ship.

Finally she drew in a long weary breath and opened her eyes. She had to fix this.

Emilee sat up and slipped her legs over the side of the bed. Her feet hit the floor and she moved towards the door with renewed energy.

She would have to find Sheila, tell her what was going on, get her to persuade Nancy to stay, before it was too late. Sheila was the voice of reason. Everyone listened to Sheila, and she always seemed to know what to say. Nancy wouldn't last very long on a sangheili war ship, Emilee felt certain of this. Nina just wouldn't be enough.

It's the right thing to do.

00oo00oo00oo00

Sheila sighed as she hung her hands over the metal sink. Blood ran off her fingers in rivulets of water and she watched it run off her skin until her hands were clear again. Antibiotic soap out of a nearby nozzle in the wall by the sink and she was scrubbing, rinsing again, and finally clean. She shook them off and reached for a towel under the cabinet.

A marine had accidentally tore a hole in his arm and she hadn't had time to equip gloves. They had been afraid he would bleed out too quickly for that. They had to compress and wrap him immediately to keep the bleeding at bay.

Her peer, Heather Coffrey, was still a trainee and had almost lost it when red had splattered her top. The girl's face had literally turned green and she had trembled so much, that she hadn't been any help with her unsteady hands. Sheila had taken over alongside their top medical officer, a kind and humorous man by the name of Gary Peters.

Gary was probably one of the friendliest people stationed on Imperium _._ Everyone could appreciate him being in charge of their health. It was nice to have someone in a military environment who felt like some funny older relative who made jokes at even the worst of times.

Their patient was weak from blood loss, but he would live. He was currently resting up in the medical ward. It had all worked out fine, well, except for Heather. She had promptly thrown up after the fact. Sheila wasn't sure how well off the woman was for a medical career. She had the most sensitive disposition of anyone she knew.

Well except Nancy of course.

Now they just had to get that damn cracked pipe out of the wall. She wasn't sure how that even passed inspection. The unlucky fellow had slipped down the stairs at storage unit CB, near ammunitions, and had caught his arm against it trying to keep himself from falling. Instead he had stabbed himself with a piece of rusty metal, so maybe the fall would have been a better idea. He was only six steps from the bottom, at the worst he could have fallen wrong and snapped his neck.

People don't usually die from falling down the stairs, but Sheila had seen crazier things.

Nothing crazier, of course, than Emilee randomly running into the medical offices looking flustered and damn well near startling her to death.

"No running young lady. Some of us have sharp tools in hand." A cheery reprimand, if you could call it one. Sheila turned to look to where the medical officer was. Gary was at the sinks now, but he was rinsing off some scissors. He seemed to have a six sense for disasters and never seemed to be unprepared. He had merely slipped his blood soaked gloves off into the waste disposal unit, hands clean.

"Can I speak with Sheila, please, Doctor Peters?" Emilee asked, a little out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Sheila was a little concerned. What was so important that Emilee had apparently ran to find her?

"Just cleaning up, you two go ahead and chat. Sheila, I'll wait for you. We need to file a report. Some moron is going to answer for this." He was referring to the pipe. That was a real concern but currently Sheila was worried about what Emilee was bothering her about.

"Yes sir, thank you." She quickly met the other woman's eyes. Emilee looked panicked, her hands moving to play with the loose strands of her hair that had fallen over one ear.

Emilee led the way out into the hall and Sheila followed, feeling her heart pick up pace. Was someone hurt? Surely she would have just told Gary about it if there was an emergency while they were in the room together. This was something else entirely.

"What's going on?" Sheila asked carefully, prepared for anything the other woman could tell her. Or so she thought.

Emilee drew in a long breath. "It's Nancy…"

00oo00oo00oo00

Of course, it had also concerned Nina. Sheila knew that Emilee wasn't overly fond of the woman, but she wished she would have told her about Nina before Nancy.

Nathan was going to be pissed about this. Sheila had promised him she would watch over his sister and now the woman had gone mad and enlisted onto a sangheili war ship. This was all very quickly spinning into chaos.

Sheila had went to high school with both of them, although she only really knew Nathan at the time. Both small town kids with big dreams. Nathan had went onto college after his graduation to become a surgeon, while Sheila had decided to help her heroes, like her father, and enlist with the UNSC as a medic. She had went through the training courses, recording her progress and taken to messaging Nathan in her free time.

Two years had passed and they had slowly become too busy to bother each other, as they were studying constantly to become professionals in their field. It was just a fact of life. Sheila didn't keep in touch with probably 90% of her school peers.

One day, however, she had entered her room with the intent to pass out onto her bed after a hard day's work but was stopped when she heard a ping from her messenger. She had discovered an inquiry from Nathan. Apparently his baby sister had enlisted with the UNSC as well. He had pleaded with Sheila to watch over his sister, Nina, who was to be stationed on the same ship after shore training.

Sheila had promised him she would do just that, but how was she supposed to keep this promise when Nina was going to be light years away soon?

She kept a brisk walk, Emilee keeping pace beside her. They were headed in the direction of the military offices, more specifically those of their Commander and the woman in charge of the ship, Chelsea Beretta. If anyone would give them a straight answer, it would be her. Merico had a tendency of telling them what he thought they should know, and leaving it at that. It was a relief that he wasn't manning Imperium or there would probably be a higher demand for therapy services.

They turned a corner and it was Emilee who discovered him first.

The woman's face smacked into a hard obstacle in her path. Someone's very firm chest. It took Emilee a moment to regain her senses and then she was staring, mouth agape, at the alien head hanging over her.

"Why are you here?" He asked them, he being, specifically, a tall lanky sangheili. He didn't seem overly pleased to see them, Sheila noticed. He looked a little distracted actually. He kept looking over his shoulder, towards the administration offices where they had been heading. Sheila also noted a glyph of some kind on the shoulders of his armor. She didn't recognize it.

He was tall for even his kind, but thinner, leaner. He had this graceful upsweep to his thighs that sangheili had, with their long gaited legs. His skin was a smooth lightly speckled, mocha colored complexion. Blazing amber eyes narrowed at them with something akin to distaste.

Sheila had to look away from those eyes, choosing instead to glue her own to the bulging muscles on his neck, "We're here to see Commander Beretta. We won't bother you." She spoke clearly but she winced, when she became suddenly aware of the tremor in her voice. It was hard not to be intimidated by this alien. He was so far, unwelcoming in his behavior, and a sangheili personality she had yet to understand. Not to mention he towered over them like most of his kind.

"And yet here we are." He snorted. He crossed his muscular arms over his chest, his armor clinking lightly as he did so.

Sheila didn't know how to respond to that, but she didn't have to, because Emilee pushed past her to stand in front of the sangheili. The brunette had an ugly scowl on her face, her own eyes glowering back at him, "Who do you think you are buddy?" The woman spat, brushing a defiant curl out of her face, "Yeah, I'm _so sorry_ , I ran into you, but don't take shit so damn personally. We didn't walk all the way over here to pay tribute to your sensibilities."

Sheila looked at her friend in unconcealed horror. Insulting an almost 8 foot tall alien, was a _good idea_? She quickly turned her eyes to the sangheili, trying to see if it was a good time to grab Emilee and run.

A shock came over her when a breathy sound escaped from his maw. He was…

Laughing?

"I have to say, I never expected human females to be so…fiery." He said, looking over them with those bright alien eyes. "I'm pleasantly surprised." He looked over them, as if he was just now seeing them for the first time. "You have my apologies for offending you." His tone seemed to suggest a smugness, that perhaps they should feel honored he had given them any apology.

"Thank you." Sheila said quickly, before Emilee could speak. She wanted to get right to the point. She was also very curious by his presence. "We're just here to speak with Commander Beretta. Are you here for the same reason?"

The sangheili drew in a deep breath though his mandibles, the action making a slight sucking noise. "Yes. I'm an envoy from clan Idreem. I am Talos 'Idreem, of the Swords of Sangheilios."

Sheila blinked in surprise. The Swords was a group of sangheili led by the famous once-Arbiter of the covenant, and it was a peaceful, though largely political, coalition between humans and sangheili. But an actual member of the group. A Sword…here? Their visiting sangheili obeyed and honored the Sword's dogma, but they were not members themselves. They did not fight with the Arbiter.

"Swords? Here?" Emilee mused. "For what purpose?"

The sangheili shuffled his legs around for a moment, looking impatient again. He turned the sweep of his neck to stare at Emilee, "It is my own business. Respectfully, mind your own females."

Females? Ugh. Sheila fought the urge to sigh. Did all sangheili want to sound like bigoted males, or was it just a natural thing on their planet? She had heard a few facts about the race. They were largely a patriarchy, but she was still very much unaware of their social norms concerning genders…

Emilee wasn't having any of this of course. Sheila watched as the woman made a disgusted noise and moved to slip by him, giving a wide berth as if she really did find his form appalling. She didn't get very far and Emilee was halted in her tracks by a firm grip on her arm.

"Hey, what the heck!"

The sangheili had grabbed a hold of the woman's arm and was looking down at her like a mother berating a troublesome child. "I was told to wait here." Talos said gruffly, "And I don't appreciate you two cutting in."

Emilee angrily twisted her arm out of his grip, rubbing her hand lightly across the spot where he had touched her. "Do not touch me." She snapped at the alien, who looked bemused at the redness coming over her cheeks. Emilee was definitely annoyed. She was pale enough that any amount of red shone on her face like a traffic light at stop. That same red was laced through her hair, and was made more apparent when she blushed. Emilee had told her once that it was from her Irish roots.

She blamed a lot of things on her Irish roots actually. Including her temper and love of alcohol, which Sheila doubted had much to do about roots than the woman having to grow up with seven other siblings and an alcoholic father.

Sheila stepped in to play referee before a fight broke out, which she knew would end in Emilee screaming and trying to hit a much larger male alien, while the sangheili probably just stood there. The vision was amusing when you didn't think about the real situation of it.

"Okay, that's fine." Sheila said calmly, "Let's just be patient."

The sangheili laughed again, sounding a little bitter. "You say that, but I have been here a long time. This whole ordeal is trying my patience. I do not want to be on this frigate any longer than I have to."

"I agree, that would be unpleasant for all of us." Emilee said coldly, and Sheila couldn't suppress a sigh.

"Is arguing an enjoyable experience for you female?" The sangheili snorted, mandibles tucking neatly and unfolding as he made an expression that appeared disdainful, as if he was wiping his hands of them. It was certainly true in the tone of his voice. "I won't entertain you then."

"Fuck you."

"Wouldn't you like that?" Smugness. Sheila suppressed a groan, fully aware of how Emilee was already reacting to that comment.

A snap of barely contained rage, "Oh, no…but I bet you'd love a big pole shoved straight up your—"

"Is there a problem here?" A sharp and familiar female voice, but with a hint of weariness.

They turned to see Beretta standing in the doorway to administration. She looked paler than usual, with a blue tinge under her eyes, standing in stark contrast the color of her irises. Her red hair was also unkempt looking and stood up at random points on her scalp.

The sangheili placed a fist over his chest and ducked his head down for a short second, "Shipmaster Chelsea Gale Beretta."

Sheila and Emilee shared a look. This was the first they had heard of their commander's middle name. It was generally unspoken. This sangheili meant to be respectful, this was certain, as he had learned and kept to memory their commander's full name.

"That would be me." Beretta said crisply, looking suddenly energetic again, her icy blue eyes flashing over the two women standing behind the sangheili. "I was expecting 'Idreem here, what is it that you two want?"

Emilee stepped forward with a quick salute before Sheila could answer, "Commander, ma'am, one of our soldiers has been transferred to that sangheili ship. Another, a Nancy Leanne Dodger, was going to make a request of the same. We wanted to ask that that request be denied."

They both watched with interest as Beretta's eyebrows shot up, her mouth twisting into a frown. "I made no such transfer. Anything like that would have to be cleared through me. We're not even supposed to make decisions like that without an official ruling by military council. Any interspecies mingling in the military has to be preapproved, for proper sanction."

Sheila's heart skipped a beat as she took in this information, "Wait…we were told that Nina had been transferred onto the sangheili cruiser, but, did…is this some kind of mistake?" She didn't finish. She was confused. How could this happen? What exactly was going on? "She…didn't report for…and Merico—"

Beretta's hand rolled over the points of her hair in an almost tugging motion. She looked as if she was just as confused as they were. Confused and a little anxious, "Shit. That man is short a few...ugh. He has his head shoved so far up everyone else's ass, except for mine. I'm in command of this cruiser, he should have come straight to me."

"Wait." Emilee's voice was loud, betraying her stress at this situation. Sheila couldn't deny she was also feeling more nervous each passing moment. If the commander didn't have control, who did in this situation? "So, maybe Merico thought that the shipmaster outranked him, maybe…"

"No." Beretta cut her off, shaking her head, one hand pressed to her forehead as if checking her temperature. Her cheeks were just as flushed as Emilee's earlier, in what Sheila knew by the spite in her voice as anger. "He should have known better, its protocol. Something else is going on—"

There was an instantaneous event of lights flickering and a clattering crash from somewhere nearby. They weren't sure what made the sound, but they were made apparent of the consequences of it as a quake shot through the floor. The humans were unable to hold their feet and were sent toppling to the ground. The sangheili merely fell against the wall with one arm to steady his body.

"What's going on?" Emilee cried out, arms flailing out as she tried to reach her feet. It was all in vain as instead another tremor had her falling into Sheila.

The shaking stopped, but there was still an uncertain shiver in the ground. Something was happening, and it was affecting Imperium. The ship, someone was attacking the ship!

Sheila felt her heart clatter against her chest as she sought to take in a deep breath of air that tasted stagnant when she thought of the suppression system failing and all of them being sucked out into space and oblivion. What was happening? Who was attacking?

"On your feet." Beretta had hauled up Emilee who was now visibly shaking herself, her breath coming out in quick gasps, "We have to move. Now."

"I believe the cruiser has come under attack." The sangheili said unhelpfully the same thing that was already on all of their minds.

Emilee was too afraid to scowl at him, feeling cold fingers running up and down her spine. She had never seen real action before, and this was very real. They were actually under attack, most likely from another ship, maybe more than one. That kind of tremor she had only felt once before, and that was in the simulator concerning space battles. The skirmishes people generally feared the most. Stuck and with nowhere to go.

There was a pounding of many feet coming towards them and a group of soldiers came around the bend in the corridor. A decorated major with a granite expression stood at the front and moved quickly towards Beretta.

"Commander, Major Merico was assassinated by one of their men. They are aiming to cripple her, ma'am. Imperium. We can't return salvos." His voice was grim, betraying their own unease at the situation. Sheila couldn't speak. There was no words for this. Whatever _this_ was becoming.

Beretta's eyes narrowed. " _Who_?"

"They're traitors." The Major said, "The shipmaster pulled out his ship, he's going to jump. It could be minutes. He has the cargo."

"Bastard." Beretta hissed between her teeth, "I should have known. Damn it…"  
"I feared as much." The sangheili pushed away from the wall, "Sublime Justice has not been relieved by the Arbiter for duty. He keeps track of the remainder of our destroyers so they may not be used against us or your people. It would seem that we share a traitor in our midst."

"It was your people who attacked us, who killed Merico!" The Major bared his teeth, looking ready for a fight. "You can't honestly think we're going to trust your word-"

"Let's quell the racist bullshit." Beretta snapped suddenly, and everyone's gaze turned to her, "I know 'Idreem very well. He was brought in by Oni, and yes, they're shady fucks, but they don't mess around, just what good is it now? The cargo is gone. They have it and apparently we're not capable of firing some artillery to send the fuckers to hell? Is that correct Major Davison?"

Cargo? Sheila wasn't sure what she meant by cargo. This was a green training frigate, for new military members…did they use this as an innocent guise to haul valuable items? Was that even legal?

The Major straightened the cap on his head, taking in a slow wavering breath, "Ma'am, we are perfectly capable of firing upon their ship, but as long as they don't mean to destroy our own, we can't make a move."

Beretta spun on him, her eyes flashing dangerously, "What do you mean? Have you lost your senses?"

The Major swallowed, "They have hostages."

Sheila looked to Emilee and found the woman was already looking back at her. There was an expression of shock on the woman's face, and Sheila knew it was a shared condition. Everything pointed to it, it was undeniable, but Nina and Nancy were most likely not aboard Imperium anymore.

This was very quickly turning into a nightmare for everyone.

And then the panel of lights above them flickered off casting the corridor into darkness.

00oo00oo00oo00

 **3 Hours Earlier…**

Nina had long sense slipped on her clothes and was currently lounging on the sangheili shipmaster's generously sized bed.

Voss had yet to return, but she was lax and enjoying the sleepy aftermath of their sexual activities. His bed was much more comfortable than she expected, and she pressed her cheek into the cool outer sheet with a satisfied smile on her lips.

He had been the well-endowed male she had ever fucked. He had brought out such primal sexual feelings in her, it had been dizzying. She recalled the feeling of his cock brushing up against her bare bottom and felt her own sex respond to the vision.

This was going to be a very well deserved vacation.

She had been ready to slip into a short sleep when she heard footsteps outside the room. Heavy, but there was another sound too. A human voice? An upset voice.

Nina sat up in bed and turned her eyes to the large metal door. It came open with a mechanical swish, and she was shocked to see an unfamiliar sangheili carrying a sobbing human woman over one shoulder.

She recognized the soft blonde, almost white hair, dropping past a too-pale face, ragged strands come loose from a mess of pins. Unshed tears sparkled in big blue eyes. It was Nancy. What was Nancy doing here? Why was he…?

Suddenly Nancy let out a shrill cry as she was tossed bodily into the air and towards Nina. Nina barely moved out of the way before Nancy hit the bed, and rolled into her hard, only stopped by Nina's own body from falling off.

"What's going on? Nancy?" Nina was confused. She turned back to look at the sangheili who had brought Nancy, but he was already moving away from them to leave the room, "Hey, wait!" She stumbled off the bed, quickly, "What is she doing here? Why did—"

Suddenly the large sangheili male's shoulder turned sharply towards her and Nina was stopped by the back of his hand clapping her hard across the cheek. The sound rang in the room like a thunder clap, but she wasn't aware of anything but the pain.

She spun on one heel and her body twisted sharply before hitting the ground hard, both hands slapping against the cold metal floor. It hurt like a bitch, and it felt as if her face was on fire. She uttered out a low moan as she sought to gain her feet. She could taste the iron of blood on her lips.

What was happening? He had assaulted her! Why was Nancy…?

"I'm so sorry Nina!" Nancy had stumbled off the tall bed and had moved to reach the other woman, "I didn't know…I shouldn't have…I should—"

Nina sat up on the floor and turned to face her friend. Her face stung, and blood ran down her chin where she had managed to bit her lip. It was going to bruise, she was certain of that much. "What is happening Nancy, why are you here?"

The shorter woman released a shuddering sob, tears spilling wetly down her cheeks, "I..I was asking the Major w-where you were, and if I could c-come too. I couldn't l-let you be alone. Nina, they _murdered_ him. There was this invisible sangheili, he had this sword. He—"Nancy couldn't' finish, instead she choked on her own tears. "T-the blood. There was so m-much _blood_."

Nina could see it now. Nancy's hands were held out, shaking, open, as if she was making an offering, but her palms were empty. The fingers though were unclean. Ivory skin was tainted with the stain of blood.

Nina was numb. This wasn't happening. It just didn't make sense…but here they were.

Nina marched to the door, determined to find answers, but couldn't find a release. She tried to work the edges with her nails, but there was nothing to grip, nothing to pry at. It was stuck.

No, they were stuck. Trapped in a room with no accessible exit, on an alien ship that was probably due to leave at any time. This was all wrong, so very wrong. This couldn't happen, surely someone would notice…?

She felt Nancy's breath at her back, heard the barely suppressed terror in each small gasp that escaped the girl's lips, "Nina…what are we going to do?"

Nina stepped back, and looked to Nancy, but she wasn't really looking at her. She couldn't. She couldn't see the blood on her hands, or the truth of the situation in her eyes. Nina stared at the wall behind the sobbing woman and tried to suck in a deep breath to try and control her own rising hysteria.

For once, she didn't have an answer for Nancy. She was all out of ideas.

And in all probability, they were both majorly fucked.

 **Drama! My plot bunnies are hopping. Did anyone see this coming? I hope not. I like to roll out the surprises. No smut in this one, but 10 pages of progression for the big stuff. Next chapter is going to be kinky as hell, and probably dark too. Fair warning, considering the new circumstances…it's not going to be very consensual.**

 **I put in a lot of edits for the first chapter by the way, might have missed some spelling, but let me know if you guys see any shining errors. I didn't like how I wrote a lot of parts in the first chapter, so there are whole new paragraphs and re-written areas too, so check that out if you're curious or need a refresher. Let me know what you guys are interested in seeing as well! I'm curious.**

 **Thanks for reading. Stay tuned.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Hours had passed, or so it felt like to Nina. Currently, she was the only one conscious. Nancy had cried herself into an unsettled sleep, too afraid to function, and unable to accept their current predicament for what it was.

Nina was tempted to join her, but she knew any attempts at sleep would be in vain. When she was upset, she was too awake, too aware of her problems. It didn't help that she was remembering prior activities on the bed in the room they were locked in, feeling a burning shame as she recalled what got them into this situation to begin with. She had acted the slut, and had screwed over her friend too.

Now her mind was buzzing with ideas of escape, desperately flipping through different scenarios. She had tried everything short of smacking herself bloody against the wall. Nothing was working, and she was getting frustrated and a little scared.

Did the others realize what had happened? That they were missing? What exactly was going to happen to them?

Nina paced again, as she had been doing for the last several minutes with a few frustrated knocks against the door that sealed them within this room. Rescue had to come, eventually. In the meantime though, she would not just sit idly by and do nothing. She brushed a strand of hair from her nose, and cringed at the pain she felt from the smack she had endured earlier. The bastard had near broke her nose.

She was about to smack the door again when she heard the thuds of heavy feet coming down the hall. Nina quickly retreated back to the bed, standing protectively in front of the still sleeping form of Nancy.

It didn't take long for the door to zip open with a heavy thrum. A large form slipped into the room gracefully on long alien legs, and the door closed automatically when his shadow left the threshold.

Nina's breath came through her teeth in a hiss. It was _him_ of course.

The sangheili shipmaster Voss looked her over, almost appraisingly. He was in full armor this time, and the shining pointed helm on his head only made him look more fearsome for it. Nina swallowed as his eyes met her own. He made a sound like a chuckle as he watched her shoulders close around her neck in a guarded posture. "I won't hurt you Nina." He said in a silky voice.

"Don't say my name you bastard." Nina snapped, her arms folding over her chest, eyes narrowed as he side stepped closer, unwilling to show any fear though her heart fluttered in her chest like a trapped bird.

"Ah. Not afraid to insult me this time around." He said thoughtfully, not sounding the least bit insulted to her chagrin. "I do not blame you. I would rather suffer death than capture at the hands of my enemy."

"Any way I can get you to kill yourself now?" Nina asked coldly.

He laughed again, his own arms settling across his torso, looking at her with something akin to amusement. "You are a fiery little creature, aren't you? I suppose I made the right choice."

This time, Nina did feel her heart stick to her throat. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue glaring into his bright alien eyes, though her breath was beginning to waver with each wild pulse from her rapidly beating heart.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, hating how her voice cracked a bit as she spoke, betraying her unease.

"I don't plan on returning either one of you." He replied calmly, and Nina exhaled quickly at this response. "Our goal was the collection of a… _special_ , item that would further the plans of my people, but I was looking forward to collecting another prize on the side." This time Nina could not meet his gaze. Her eyes dropped to the armor at his neck, heart pounding in her ears as he continued to speak.

"There are groups of us in every race, but I like to think it is the fault of my nature." The shipmaster continued. "I find it pleasing to dominate weaker creatures, softer more fragile beings, those with a female countenance. Humans are rebellious, arrogant creatures, but they are not as strong as sangheili. For all their boasting, they are but soft _nishum_ that seek to grasp onto what they must eventually relent."

Nina almost fell backwards onto the bed when he moved forward, but instead began to walk sideways around the contours of it, trying to create space between them, though he ventured closer at each moment she sought to escape him.

"You cannot run from me Nina." He growled with mirth, laughing again as she began backing up as he stepped ever closer. "It is better for you to accept this situation for what it is."

He then craned his neck to admire the sleeping form of Nancy, still in a fetal position across his bed. "I could scent another on her, raw and available. He had marked her loudly, and in my proud nature, I had to contest his claim. She is quite a soft looking woman too, I'm certain she will appreciate a strong male around her."

Nina stepped closer this time, nostrils flaring as she felt rage burn anew in her. "You won't touch her. She has nothing to do with this. Just let her go!"

Voss was already shaking his head before she had finished. He clicked his fangs together, making a pitying sound with his mandibles. "It is too late for that. I believe you humans say, 'the wrong place at the wrong time?' she is here now, and that is all that matters."

Nina could hold back no longer, and she felt tension coil in her like a mouse trap ready to spring shut. She sped towards him, kicking out with one leg, twisting a shoulder to keep herself balanced.

He stepped aside, almost a blur in her eyes, and she felt him lock a grip like iron around her ankle. She was promptly slammed backwards, air knocking free from her lungs as she was forced on her back against the hard floor.

She gasped wetly, black spots dancing in her vision, she could not fight him as she felt him bend forward to seize her by the shoulder. She was roughly hauled up, feet dragging, one knee slipping forward. She could smell something rotten on his breath, as he assailed her face again with a damp laugh.

She sought to twist away from him, but cried out as he trapped her wrist between his fingers, pulling her to struggle under his neck. Nina relented with a pained squeak when she felt him tighten his hold on her captured wrist.

"I don't want to break your fragile bones human, so it would be best if you stopped your foolishness now before you anger me." He said.

"You're the fool." Nina spat back, twisting her neck up to glare at him hatefully. "Do you really think the UNSC will allow you to kidnap two of its people?"

"It is already done." He said with a growl. "Did you not feel the shift below your feet? Even this environment is not without its artificial limitations."

Nina's heart stopped, sucking in a slow breath. What did he mean exactly?

 _No…_

"We entered slip space an hour back. We are in the fringes of our own territory. I doubt your UNSC can find us easily, or will be willing to sacrifice so many other troops just to find two displaced female cadets."

"Fuck you." Nina hissed.

"You have once." He shot back with a wicked curl to his mandibles, and she recoiled as his hot breath hit her face again. "So eager to begin again?" Her breath caught in her chest with a hitch as she felt his free hand slip over her bottom. She didn't dare try to break away as she felt his fingers twitch against her hand. She would be better off for anymore escape attempts with all her bones intact.

Nina had closed her eyes, trying to ignore his fingers slipping over the line of her ass when she suddenly heard a sharp intake of breath. Eyes slipping open, she turned her head to see the other woman sitting up quickly, having just awakened.

"We have not met, I am in command of this vessel." Voss released her hand and started past Nina, and towards Nancy, who was too frozen in fear to move, her eyes widening like disks. "You must be—"

Nina slammed into him from behind, quickly moving to wrap her arms around his neck. Fingernails scraped leathery skin as she sought purchase, trying desperately to dig into something vulnerable.

He roared and she could feel the pulse of it through his neck, tendrils pulsing against her arms, resounding with the beat of his twin hearts. Nina's legs kicked against his back as he twisted around to grab at her.

He bucked back into her hard and Nina's face smacked into his shoulder and she gasped as she tasted iron. Blood ran from her nose onto her lips, and she tried to breathe through the pain, fingers contorting, slipping off smooth reptilian skin.

There was only so much energy, strength she could muster before Nina was dislodged, scratching out a final time, finger burning as a nail snapped against hard armor, and she fell solidly at his feet.

Nina landed on her belly, blood staining the ground under her face as she bent her spine, tried to push herself up off onto her knees. That was also in vain, as she felt a thick pressure at her back that forced her back down slowly but firmly.

"You are an arousing creature, Nina." Voss laughed above her. "I admire the fight in you. I hope you will not disappoint me tonight."

Nina didn't attempt to move. She was tired, and in pain. Her nose was bleeding, possibly broken, and she was missing a nail from her left hand. The rising nausea at her situation was not helping. What could be done?

Would they really not come after them? There was but the two of them, and they had no great accomplishments to their name, or riches, or connections. Would it be easier for them to be but smears on an official document? Easier dead than out there, lost…

This was all her fault. Nina was numb to the realization. Never had she imagined she could screw up this badly.

"You will not be harmed." Their captor's voice had her attention again. He was standing by the bed now, and Nina clenched her fists, feeling blood well up from her hurt finger, slipping wetly through her palm. She stiffened when she saw his fingers on Nancy's hair, petting her like a tame animal. The girl was frozen, her eyes closed tightly, uttering soft panicked breaths.

"You have a choice." Voss continued, looking now to Nina. "To surrender and be at peace, in my care, or to suffer long with your short bursts of defiance. This is my ship, my crew, and I am the only force keeping you from the cold space outside this vessel. You have this choice."

" _Obey,_ or I will release you. Give you what you must desire."

Nina felt a sob burst free from within her, somewhere deep down where it had once been suppressed, by some stubborn will, a defiant spirit. Now she felt only shame, and fear. So much fear.

She felt his shadow fall over her then, and the familiar touch of him. The scent of leather, and his smooth powerful fingers running up her neck, one finger moving to push her chin up. She looked into his shining alien eyes, at the cruel jagged line of his pupil, swallowing at the sharp points glinting from the twin rows of his mandibles.

"There we are." His voice was soothing, in a way that terrified her. She did not try to move away as she felt him pull her close.

00oo00oo00oo00

Sheila groaned, blinking away the burning white light searing her pupils upon awakening. The light was familiar and she heard a voice nearby that confirmed her suspicions. She was in the medical lab…

"Are you feeling alright Sheila? You had quite the fall, well, you and…others." The doctor's voice was wavering." He sounded tired, it sounded unlike him. Usually so open and energetic.

"Doctor Peters, what happened?"

And then she remembered. All of it. Her heart sank when she recalled the prior events, before her fall into unconsciousness. The whole ship had rocked with the force of the alien's escape, a zip into deep space, a blip on the radar, and then _nothing_. Gone. Her friends, taken.

. "The ship…left." Sheila said, more to confirm it for herself. It felt like some sort of awful dream.

He was silent for a moment, but that was enough for Sheila. She sat up and allowed him to assist her to a seating position, legs sliding uneasily over the starchy sheets of the cot under her.

"I'm sorry Sheila." He pressed a hand onto her shoulder, but she felt no comfort although she appreciated the gesture. All she felt now was shame, and a sense of great loss. Nathan would be torn when he realized what had happened to his sister, what she had allowed to happen... Nina and Nancy were as good as dead if this organization was like others they had dealt with in the past.

Footsteps, heavy and a lighter tapping, had her looking towards the infirmary door. Two people entered, one alien, one not. Sheila could not help but flinch at the sight of the sangheili. All she could see was his jutting razor fine fangs, the shine of his alien eyes, and the overall bulging musculature of an alien killing machine.

Nancy…that poor girl. Nina was a fighter, but Nancy was soft. She had become stronger over the years, more confident, but she was still very impressionable.

Sheila closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. The pressure was everywhere, crushing her with the realization that her friends were probably dead, and that she had been able to do nothing to prevent it from happening.

"Sheila." Emilee stood nearby, her usually rosy skin, pale, her hair unkempt, blue shadow under both eyes. She looked as if she had been crying, and it was evident in the lilting in her voice. She didn't sound like the strong stubborn woman Sheila knew, but rather a young frightened girl who had just realized all her nightmares were real.

"Emilee." Sheila looked to her friend. She didn't have to say anything more, as soon as she opened her arms, Emilee ran into them. They sat on the bed together, stuck in a damp faced, and tired embrace.

The alien nearby made a gruff sound, sounding almost exasperated. "When you females are done with your rituals, I will await you on level three. Your commander has proposed a meeting, although I don't see much of a point in wasting time with talk."

Emilee of course chose at that moment to break free from their coupling, and to glare over her shoulder at Talos 'Idreem, their resident Swords 'associate'. She of course had yet to see what help he could offer them, but at this point, was willing to bet on anything if it meant seeing Nancy, and Nina, again.

The sangheili matched her gaze with his own simmering glower, and twisted his neck to the doctor, who seemed taken aback by the gesture, backing up a foot. "They are expected now, Doctor. I do not assume their emotions be stable, but they need to be present in body at the very least."

"We're present, in body and mind, _right_ now." Emilee snapped, getting into his face, well, as high as her toes could place her, but mostly achieved chin level to his bony clavicle. "Can you not stop being an asshole for five minutes?"

"Profane woman." He snarled back. "You would do well to not test me. If we were on opposite sides, you would not be so bold. I could break you over my knee like a branch."

"Threatening now, are we?" Emilee looked smug, and Sheila felt angry at where this was going, and quickly stepped between them with one shoulder out.

"Stop it." Sheila almost shouted. "We mustn't fight, especially now. We need each other, we have to work together."

Emilee gave her an exasperated look, pulling her arms across her chest. "What? We don't need them, we were doing just fine without these _aliens_."

"That is a matter of perspective, on both counts." Talos grumbled, crossing his own thick arms.

"She is right." The doctor stepped in, nodding at Sheila. "Nothing good comes of arguing and wasting time, you should all see what the Commander has to say. Maybe we can still save them."

"Save them?" The sangheili's mandibles slackened. "You would pursue these traitors for two stray humans? The idea is mad. It is unfathomable to me, why you would waste time and resources for so few of your number."

"How dare you!" Emilee bared her teeth, and Sheila wisely stepped back to give her space. She could almost feel the heat rising around the other woman. Sheila herself was feeling a bit disdainful of the sangheili. How could he speak so freely about something he apparently didn't even want to understand? "They are our friends, and unlike you monsters, we don't leave friends behind because of some so-called 'honor.'"

The sangheili chuckled. "You speak again of what you don't understand, you have no concept of honor! You and your kind are bereft of any nobility."

"Oh, and I'm to take it that you shit gold? You fucking tool." Emilee hissed.

The sangheili growled and opened his mandibles to snarl back at the woman, but was stopped by a voice at the door.

"Brother, still having trouble with females?"

They turned to see another sangheili enter the room. They were more surprised at the second alien, the latter having to hop a bit to keep up with his much taller companion.

An unggoy. Sheila blinked as he jumped forward, his sangheili accomplice allowing him to move ahead of him. She had never seen an unggoy this close before, and she was taken back at how tall he was, certainly much larger than what she had seen in photos. He was probably about four and a half feet tall, and wore a mask with a breathing apparatus over the nose area and gray rimmed goggles.

"Nico." Talos said with a snort. "Of course they would send you to collect me, like some errant youngling."

This Nico merely laughed, and Sheila looked him over carefully. Unlike Talos, he was not wearing much armor, rather some thin leather looking orange plates at his thighs, chest, and upper arms. He wore a teal colored tunic with chain-link like brown patterns sewn at the edges of his neck and thin leggings.

He was also darker in color, almost coal black, with only lighter hues of mahogany around his green eyes, a color that was startlingly vivid in the clinical light. Another difference in traits were the mandibles. His were smaller than Talos's and seemed to turn more sharply at the joint ends. His expression seemed almost humored at rest, made more apparent by the shine of his oddly colored eyes.

"Let me guess, the better looking brother?" Emilee said with a smirk. Sheila fought the urge to sigh aloud, but she hid a smile behind a curtain of her hair. It was true. Nico's eyes were beautiful and there was something graceful about him as a whole. Talos carried himself in a leaned over posture, heavy and brooding, while Nico almost danced forward with each stride, light and graceful.

Talos glared at her, fangs turning in his mouth as he shook open his upper mandibles. Nico merely chuckled, stepping closer to look at her, while Emilee merely gazed back with an uncertain look on her face.

"I am Nico 'Valteem." The sangheili said cordially, craning his head slightly. "And no, Talos and I share only good humor, and of that I am being sarcastic."

Talos scowled outright at that, and turned to leave, casting one last dark look at Emilee. "If you want to save your friends, you should not tarry. I've heard the rogue shipmaster has… _exotic_ tastes." His lower mandibles tucked in with something like disgust before he made his exit.

Emilee noticeably bristled, her shoulders going rigid. Sheila held her back with one quick hand when she made a move to pursue him. "Calm down Em. We will get through this, don't let him goad you."

"I apologize, he is not good with…talking." Nico explained with a sincerity that surprised her. Like Palo, this sangheili was not brutish, but rather very cordial. Sheila found his presence refreshing, and it wasn't just the way he held himself, but the genuineness of his words.

"Nope." A high pitched voice chirped. "He's mostly good at making sour faces and kicking everybody around. You know, the guys who can feel it the most…yeah _our_ guys."

The unggoy had finally spoken up, and they all stared, even Emilee looking intrigued by his presence. Sheila wondered faintly when he had come aboard. Was it during the earlier chaos? Or had he been staying with them all this time, out of sight?

"That is awful." Emilee said, clicking her tongue. She smiled down at the unngoy. "My name is Emilee, this is my friend Sheila, and Doctor Peters. What is your name?"

"You are polite, thank you." The unngoy said agreeably." I am Tulip."

"Tulip?" Emilee's lips quirked into a smile, and Sheila couldn't help but turn up her own lips.

"Yup." The unngoy said. "Mother said it means 'brave watcher' though I'm not sure what's so brave about someone who just watches stuff. Ah well."

"On our planet, it's the name of a flower." Emilee said. "It's a very popular flower." She said quickly, realizing that maybe he would find it insulting to be named for something decidedly feminine in their culture.

The unngoy didn't seem disappointed by this information, merely excited that his name could be translated to mean something entirely different than what he knew. "Is it a strong stalky flower? Like really tall?" His voice rose in volume, almost _hopeful_.

"Enough Tulip." Nico chuckled. "Now, you two should be going." His face turned serious with his words. "I'm sure you are eager for action. Your commander awaits, I'm confident we may be able to act before this escalates further out of control."

"A voice of reason." Emilee said with a sigh. "Finally. Will the Swords be sending more men to help us? I don't care if you're aliens, just as long as you can help, and not be assholes about it."

Sheila sighed but was not surprised at Emilee's brassiness. She was upset, and she was not good with holding back her emotions, especially the fiery ones.

"The Arbiter has been contacted, and if he is willing, I see that as being a realistic prospect." Nico said. "He may even take personal interest. He has conveyed that much to me."

"You've spoken with him?" Sheila voiced her surprise. The Arbiter was famous. He had helped humanity with many battles, including the one that ended the war that had almost destroyed her whole race, and very speck of sentient life. Of course, he had also admitted to being responsible for billions of human deaths, but Sheila liked to believe in redemption. All she had now was hope, and if he could help them save Nina and Nancy, Sheila would put all her hopes on him.

"I am one of his messengers, if you will." Nico said proudly. "My family recently had a hand in large-scale trades with the Vadam clan. We have a strong relationship, and the Arbiter has much respect now for merchant clans like my own."

"So you sell things?" Sheila asked. "What sorts?"

"We can talk while we walk." Nico said. "I cannot waste much more of your or my own time, with respect, I am expected to send communication soon, and we must meet with your commander before the fact."

"You can ask anything you like about me." Tulip chattered. "I am an open book. _Many_ pages. Oldest of nineteen brothers. Means I'm _preeetty_ smart."

Sheila enjoyed the unngoy's personable nature, there was something innocent with how he carried himself, and Nico was gentlemanly, reminding her of Palo's more refined personality. Palo…she wondered if he had a part in all this. Surely they had gathered all the sangheili members on board and had questioned them…

She realized her concerns could be seen as almost racist, but she could not help her suspicion and her fear. An alien had cornered her in the elevator, boasting aggressively, and now a crew of sangheili had kidnapped Nina and Nancy, and stolen something of apparent vast importance to the UNSC and Oni…

Surely they could find a way to work together to fix all this. That was the best Sheila could hope for. She nodded to Emilee and turned to Doctor Peters.

"We'll keep you updated." She told him, and then looked to Nico. "Lead the way."

00oo00oo00oo00

Nina didn't know where he was going with this, but she had been ordered onto the bed again, and Nancy was made to stand to the side, casting a horrified look at Nina. She knew her expression was just as bleak, and Nina was certain that he was going to force himself on her in front of the other girl, possibly make her watch them. She shared a glance with Nancy who was still trembling where she stood, her hands knotted together in front of her, betraying the tremor of fear.

Voss was removing the last of his armor, dropping it to the floor with a hard clang. His alien body was sleek and powerful, cords of muscles tensing with each slight movement, his tall alien torso baring powerful abdominals. Nina tasted something sour on her tongue when she remembered how he felt under her hands, the catch of her nails on pebbled skin, and his hot breaths scattering beads of moisture across her flesh.

Nina reacted to his approach by kneading her fingers desperately into the cloth at her side, scooting back a bit until her back was flush with the wall. She was trying to remain calm in front of Nancy, but it was difficult, especially when she realized what was soon about to occur. She could see the lust in the shine of his alien eyes, in the way he swaggered forward, a wide line at his groin already betraying his intentions.

"I have something special in mind." He told them, hesitating at the end of the bed, leaning back on one of his legs, neck curving like a snake to regard them with a passion in his eyes that had Nina's heart racing again. "You work well in teams, I expect?"

"Just get to the point." Nina snapped, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her unease at the situation.

"Maybe it will be easier to simply show you." He said with a smug confidence that only made the women feel more fearful of what was to become. There was nowhere to go, they were completely at his mercy.

Nina drew in a quick breath, almost choking on it, as he began to crawl over the bed, his weight displacing her in a gently rocking motion as he moved towards her.

Soon she was looking up into his smoldering gaze, trapped in the heat of his eyes and that which radiated from his presence. Unlike reptiles she knew from her time on Earth, he was not cold-blooded, but warm, almost hot to the touch at spots. Nina had learned this from earlier, when they had lain together, and she had acted quite the whore for him.

She had never felt more shame in all her life, and prayed that this nightmare would end sooner than later. For now though, she had to survive, both she and Nancy. It was her fault that the other woman was trapped in this predicament. Nina had not thought about how this would affect Nancy, and the end result of her attempting to understand for herself, Nina's willingness to leave them all behind…had ended up with her being taken too.

She couldn't turn back time, but she could try her best to ensure their survival so that one day they could both return home, and send these bastards to their makers in the flames of their own ship.

His fingers sweep down her neck again and Nina's eyes shoot back to his own hot gaze. His mandibles sifted open and closed with each breath, and the woman recoiled as he exhaled, sending a bitter scent to her nostrils.

"Strip for me Nina." He ordered.

Nina hesitated, pulling her shirt over her head slowly. Once it was off, she pressed the bundle against her clavicle, looking back to the sangheili again who merely chuckled.

"If I have to remove them, you will not have them again. I will tear them from your body, and you will have to exist as you are…naturally." His voice was a dark promise and Nina needed no further prompting, as the thought of constantly being naked for them to devour with their eyes, made her feel physically ill.

Nina tossed away the rest of her fabrics until she was but as she was, naturally. Nude and vulnerable to the world. To him.

She crossed her arms over the swell of her breasts, glancing to see how Nancy was fairing. The girl was keeping her eyes down, but Nina could see the quiver of her lips and the moisture on her cheeks.

"It's okay Nancy." Nina spoke up, and Nancy turned her blue gaze onto her before her cheeks flushed, and the girl quickly looked away again. Nina hoped she wasn't as innocent as she seemed. She didn't want this ordeal to change her, to scar her totally.

"Chin up Nancy." Nina said with a fierceness that surprised even her. "It's alright."

Nancy kept her eyes up then, blinking away tears as quickly as they came. The girl nodded slowly, like a broken doll, in return. There was this hollowness in her deep blue eyes that scared Nina. What if by the time rescue came, it was too late? What if this experience broke her completely?

"Now, let us begin." Voss said suddenly, and Nina faced him again, swallowing back her fear. "You will start."

"What do you want me to do?" Nina asked coldly.

The sangheili wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him until she was flush with his hot body, her cheek forced against his chest. She could smell his leathery scent then, almost taste him on her lips, and fought back the urge to push him away. Instead, Nina tried to clear her mind, tried to keep calm, even as she felt the hand at her back begin to slip long fingers down her spine towards her bottom.

His hand did not stop, and as his grasp slackened at his other hand, Nina couldn't help but lean back away from him, though his hand was now firmly gripping her at the buttocks, trapping her.

Thankfully he paused in his reaching motions, but Nina's relief was short lived as she suddenly felt a presence slip between her legs. One of his longer fingers had managed to curl under thigh and was stroking her at a place that made her want to scream with the shame of it.

Nina bit back a cry as that digit began to prod at her sex, his other long finger grasping her thigh, sweeping the sharp tip of it against the soft flesh there.

He stopped then, but kept it there, and she could only breathe deeply, trying her best to ignore the sensations he was awakening at her core, Nina hating her body for wanting him. Unable to deny her body's reaction to the proximity of his finger at her entrance.

"Touch me Nina." He commanded huskily, his other hand moving to pet at her neck, sifting through the locks of her hair that had swept wildly past one ear. "I will allow you control, you may pleasure me."

All Nina wanted to do was claw his eyes out and run out into the hall, to somewhere else other than here, but she could but relent to his demands. There was nowhere to go, as he had said earlier, this was his realm, and there would only be one way out, and she refused to die yet. Surely they could hold on long enough for rescue?

Nina felt him prod her again, and took that to mean she was expected to act, so the woman reached out with her hands and touched him. She cleared her mind, quieted the screams within her, and tried to remember how she touched a lover, how she teased them like they weren't an enemy…

She allowed her fingers to play across the bulk of his abdominals, and to sweep down, down, to the apex of his pelvis. Nina leaned forward just as she felt him release her, remove his finger from her entirely, leaving her unmolested once again.

Nina continued, feeling more comfortable with her actions, and her fingers traveled lower, moving towards the growing bulge of the maleness between his legs.

"Wait." He suddenly ordered, and Nina looked up at him confused. She made to move back, to remove her hands, but he pressed her back to his groin.

"Wait." He said again, with a firmness in his tone that allowed no refusal.

Nina obeyed, silently watching him, suddenly aware of the turn in his posture, and the way his eyes switched to the third person in the room.

"Nancy." His voice rumbled warmly, and Nina saw the other woman twitch at the sound of her name, casting a doe eyed look at their captor. What did he want of her? Nina squared her jaw as she watched his eyes roll over Nancy. "Come here."

"I can—. " Nina started.

"You can, and _will_ be, silent." His voice fell over her like a cold curtain, sharp, sobering. "I was not speaking to you."

"Okay!" Nancy said loudly, her voice cracking. She stood up on her toes and began to crawl across the bed.

"Here." Voss said, turning his shoulder, opening up room for Nancy to sit at his side. "You are less experienced than Nina, you will watch us."

Nina stared at him in disbelief and disgust. He was going to have her tutor Nancy, train her a whore to please him. She wouldn't do it…

"Please." Nina tried again. "Don't make her do this…you can have me. I'm enough."

His gaze found her again, and she could see something like disappointment in his expression. He snorted loudly. "Are you? You seem to have lost much of your spirit. Nothing would pleasure me more than employing the services of _two_ females, more so than the weak attempts of you alone."

"I'm enough!" Nina almost shouted, and sought to gain control of her rising hysteria. "Please." She tried again, in a tamer tone, hating herself or how meek her voice sounded. "Let me do it, you don't need her."

"What use is she then?" Voss asked, almost growling. "But a leash for you then? Is that what you propose?" He laughed then, an unpleasant almost mocking sound. "Perhaps I will let my crew have her instead."

"No!" Nancy's voice erupted in a shrill cry, and they both looked to her in surprise. The woman's face was pinched, pale, and tear stained. Nancy gasped out a short exhale, and drew breath quickly. "I will do as you say, what you wish." She turned to lock eyes with Nina, who was surprised at the intensity of her gaze. "I am not afraid."

Nina could believe that now, in the severity of the other woman's expression. All now that betrayed her fear was the tremor of her lips, and the tears yet to spill down the girl's face.

"She speaks." Voss's seemed pleased by this, and reached out to pull Nancy gently the rest of the way forward, her knees slipping across the material of the bed. "Now, you will follow Nina's lead. She is talented." The look he cast at Nina made her feel ill with the sinful suggestiveness of it.

She could do nothing but continue here, on this stage where she was but an actress at his whim. Nina did not know how genuine her expression was, surely it could be nothing but a blaze of discontentment. Damn him and his games. Nina could tear into her own skin with clawing fingers, rake at the fool of a woman who had surrendered so easily into a stranger's lap.

Her mind flashed back in time. Thoughts of booze, smokes, lights blinding. Rebelling against the rules, the law, and any ideas of common decency. Rolling around on another stranger's bed, his floor, pushing aside to make room for their contorting impassioned forms on the rug in his parent's room.

This alien was right. She was nothing but a whore. She had screwed herself into this hole, now she had to lay in it. Allow him to bury her in his suffocating hold, wrapped in the death shroud of his embrace.

So she began.

00oo00oo00oo00

Nina gasped as she was forced on her belly. Fortunately, he had ordered Nancy off the bed, to watch them together. His hot breath made her hair stand up on end as he craned his neck over her, covering her in the warm shadow of his body.

Mandibles swept over the back of her neck, and she tried to calm her thundering heart as she felt the wet catch of his teeth lightly against her skin. Nina imagined him biting down, severing her head from her shoulders. The vision had her shuddering.

"There is nothing to fear." Voss breathed into her ear, her hair fanning over one cheek with the gust of hot air. "I will not mar you, but taste you."

Nina exhaled sharply as she felt his mandibles part slightly, and the points of his teeth draw over her skin. She couldn't hold back a whimper as she felt him drag over the bone at her neck. Panic took further control when she felt his jaws expand again. She felt ready to scream, but was too afraid to, as his jaws began to slip closed around her neck.

It was a loose grip, but she could feel the jagged point of one of his fangs touch the edge of her jawline, one sweeping dangerously close to her chin. He had caged her neck in his mandibles, wholly. Nina could only hope he was careful about whatever he had planned.

His intention was made apparent when she suddenly felt it, moving against the back of her neck like some lecherous slug. His tongue. Sangheili did have tongues, she remembered now. They kept them deep in their maws, so that was why he had to push her into his mouth, so he could do…this.

The hot wet organ lapped against the back of her neck, long enough that it curled over the turn of her shoulder. His breath gusted over her again, sending her hair prickling up on her arms at the closeness of him. Nina didn't dare move, much too afraid of the jagged teeth at her neck.

His tongue continued to curl and press against her skin, tasting her, sending chills down her spine at the heat of him in the coolness of the room. Nina felt him pause, and widen his jaws as he began to reposition himself above her.

He pulled back completely a moment later, but her relief was short lived as he crawled over her, moving to haul her up with one hand until she was on her hands and knees.

Once more she felt him settle his weight over her, and she sank a bit as his hands pushed forward, and she drew in breath quickly as she felt his skin brush her bare rump.

Soon enough she could sense him behind her, feel his intrusion as the point of him began to push forward. Nina couldn't help gasping softly as he entered her. He was sleek, and hot, and she could feel each ring of his cock brush up against her folds as he advanced.

Nina couldn't keep her body from reacting to him, and her heart began to pulse in time to her breaths as she was stretched around his thickness.

Soon he was fully unsheathed, and Nina felt as if she was pinned to him from all sides, his arms closing her in as well as the rest of him. He hesitated only a moment before he began to thrust, and Nina was taken surprise by the sudden urgency of him.

He slipped in and out her hotly, pulling out with more restraint than he had pushing forward. He easily disturbed her with each movement of his body, keeping her still only by the weight of him, framed in the crook of his shoulders.

Soon Nina was gasping and grunting with each thrust, unable to deny her body was reacting as it should to such powerful stimuli. She closed her eyes and could imagine him as another lover, albeit one with a much more apparent maleness, seizing and spasming over his member as he drove her forward to orgasm, and to his own climax.

"Fuck." Nina gasped as he slammed forward again, sending stars dancing in her vision. Her ears were full with the pounding of her heart, her breath freed in desperate quick pants that did little to restore much air.

Voss grunted against as he sped up within her, his thick body pushing her down more as he leaned forward with his weight, his clawed hands curling against the mattress as he continued to ride her.

"Come for me you little whore." He growled in her ear, and to her shame, she was unable to halt the course of it all. He would get what he wanted, and she could not deny him it, or herself.

Nina orgasmed with a shrill cry, pleasure bursting free from within her in white waves, her body contorting hard against the ebbing swell of him.

It didn't take long for her partner to thicken and contort within her in one final stroke of his sex, his hot seed shooting into her hard. Nina fell forward onto the bed, her breath coming out in wet gasps, hair sticking to her face by the perspiration making her feel sticky and disgusting, even more so when she felt him draw back, the remnant of his ejaculate slipping down her ass and the back of her legs.

She did not resist as he rolled her onto her back, and bent over her, his cock still leaking his spent seed across her naval as he regarded her with a look in his eyes that she couldn't read. Nina was still too lost in the fog of her orgasm, and did not resist as he lowered himself over her, brushing long fingers through the valley of her breasts.

"Nina." He growled. "Take air quickly, I am not done with you."

Nina did as he told her, knowing full well his plans for her in the glow of his alien eyes and the possessive grasp of his hands falling to her waist, squeezing and rolling over her smooth skin.

He moved again, forcing her hips up hard with two hands, and her eyes widened, lips peeling back in a sharp cry as he entered her immediately again.

 **Smut, I delivered. Sorry it took so long guys, I also added some new characters! Whoop. We have an unggoy character now, which I'm excited about that, especially because they are surprisingly fun to write about. I hope you guys enjoyed, I tried to add more length to this chapter for the long wait.**

 **Leave a review and tell me how I did. Positive feedback is encouraging, but please let me know if I missed any edits. You guys have a very Merry Christmas, and stay safe. :3**

 **Until next time…**


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